


diamonds and dust (gold and rust)

by tinybox



Series: Side Effects May Vary [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Adorable Papyrus (Undertale), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Handplates (Undertale), Animals, Bad Parenting, Bad Puns, Boxing & Fisticuffs, Candy, Canonical Character Death, Cats, Child Abandonment, Cooking, Danger noodles, Dreams and Nightmares, Families of Choice, Family Bonding, Gardens & Gardening, Geology, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Legless Lizards, Papyrus (Undertale) and Spaghetti, Pie, Pizza, Protective Papyrus (Undertale), Protective Siblings, REPTILES, Science, Sign Language, Souls, Tea, Time Loop, Turtles, Undertale Reset Issues, Undertale Saves and Resets
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-25
Updated: 2019-06-14
Packaged: 2019-10-16 04:35:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 130
Words: 60,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17542793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinybox/pseuds/tinybox
Summary: You made it to the Surface.You made the right choices.You have a new life, a new home, a new family who loves you and who you love with an intensity that surprises you sometimes.You saved everyone.But that knowledge doesn't keep the nightmares away.As a side note, what do you think of spaghetti lemonade?And what's up with the weird humans?Does anything make sense?Where do skeletons come from?





	1. it's (still) you

You're standing in a bed of yellow flowers. You can hear the sound of water dripping. 

_drip_

_drop_

_plink_

_plonk_

You try to take a step, but your feet are stuck to the ground. 

Then, a voice from the darkness. 

"Welcome back."

There's someone standing in front of you. 

It's you.

"..."

The other you's hands are covered in dust.

You look down at your own hands. 

They're clean.

 

Then you look back up. 

Your doppelganger is staring at you, their eyes wide with horror. 

Their hands are now clean.

As though they have never killed at all.

You look down at your own hands again.

They are clenched around a knife coated with dust.

"Welcome back."

_plonk_

_plink_

_drop_

_drip_

 


	2. and you

Your name is Frisk.

Frisk is a good name for you.

The word frisk is a noun. You know this because you looked it up on the school's computer.

**_frisk_ **

_noun_

_1.) An act of frisking someone._

_2.) A playful skip or leap._

You then asked the librarian what it meant to 'frisk' someone. 

She did not respond.

You wanted to ask again, but the words were stuck in your throat, and your tongue was an impossible weight in your mouth.

So you didn't ask again.

You couldn't. 

 

But you do know what the second term is, and you like to jump and skip. You liked to leap into puddles, but got told off for splashing the other people around you, so you don't do that anymore. 

You jump over them instead.


	3. are me

Your mom is good at baking. 

More importantly, she wants you to help, even though you know you're no good at baking.

"My child, would you mind mixing together this bowl?"

Her smile is soft, warm.

You take a hold of the spoon and stir.

Some of the batter spills. You freeze.

But your mom just laughs. "Do not worry, Frisk. I used to spill things all the time when I first learned how to bake pies. I think the one I had most trouble with was the chocolate pie."

Her smile turns mischievous. "But then, over time, I got better. I guess you can  _choc_ it up to experience."

"heh. good one."

You startle, and almost knock the bowl over. 

Sans grins, although that isn't surprising. He always looks like he's smiling. 

"you know," he admits, "i have a  _confection_ to make. i don't think i've ever had chocolate pie before."

Toriel giggles.

You smile a little.

"Why don't you help out, Sans?" your mom asks, "You might find it's  _nut_ a lot of work."

"sure, why not."

(Later, when Papyrus comes storming in, you learn that Sans had been giving the job of fixing the roof, which is why he agreed so easily to help out with the pie. You're not surprised by this.) 


	4. we were one

Some of your dreams don't belong to you.

_you are telling scary stories late at night, huddled under a blanket, a flashlight under your chin to add an extra layer of creepiness._

_he can't even handle the most tame of these stories before his lip starts wobbling._

_"don't be such a baby," you tease._

_"i'm not a baby, and i'm not scared either," he protests, despite the fact that his fur is starting to stick up in defense._

_you tell him that there's a human under his bed, right now, just waiting for you to leave._

_"so it can eat you. humans love devouring monsters whole," you inform your brother with relish._

_he starts to look doubtful, less afraid._

_"but...you wouldn't eat me," he insists._

_you scowl. "humans are bad news. i wouldn't be surprised if they tried eating monsters."_

_"even you?" he asks, not even sounding a little bit worried._

_you scowl deeper, trying to look even more menacing._

_"if i wanted to."_

_" you wouldn't do that though, even if we were trapped in a place with no food, cause you're good, i just know it. i wish you wouldn't think that you're bad."_

_you huff, switching the flashlight off._

_"humans are awful. even me."_

_with that, you get out of your brother's bed, and into your own. you lie down, body turned away, facing the wall._

_"chara?"_

_you don't say anything else for the rest of the night._


	5. and now

You've never had a family like this before.

Granted, you've only ever had two families, but still. 

 

You're not sure what to do with this one.

Everything seems much more important now. You tend to like most people you meet, but this is different. It's a deeper feeling, tucked away in the center of your SOUL. 

It's warm and soft, but there's also a fierce need to protect, to keep this warmth safe and sound, to never let go of the ones you love. You would do anything for them, and that scares you.

One day you might not be there to protect them, and it will hurt so much more. 

You will do anything to keep your family safe.


	6. what I could be

Before you fell into the Underground, you went to a medium-sized school on a hill.

One time you dropped your orange by mistake and it rolled away right down the hill before you could get it back. 

The hill was quite large, even for someone with adult-sized legs, but you were Determined. 

It took you nearly an hour and a half to get the fruit and come back, but you were proud with your accomplishment.

It was worth the detention, because getting the orange was more proof that you could do anything as long as you kept going at it.

 

(What you learned from this is, that when you start going somewhere, it isn't a good idea to look back at where you once were before.)

 


	7. someone new

It wasn't that you didn't know how to talk, or weren't able to speak at all. 

 

You like talking, sometimes. 

Not often.

 

But sometimes you  _can't_ talk. 

_"Frisk has a habit of ignoring others."_

_"There's nothing physically wrong with your child's voice."_

_"You think you're better than everyone else?"_

Your throat seizes up, and no matter how hard you try, you can't seem to say anything. 

So it's easier not to talk at all, because if you don't talk then you won't freeze up while talking, and people will just assume you're mute.

Or something.

 

You had friends before you fell into the Underground. There was a kid across the street who you played hopscotch with after school, but then they transferred to another school and you didn't see them anymore.

Before your mom moved for the fifth time, you used to visit Miss Umbra, an older woman who lived a block away. You would do minor chores around the house, like pulling weeds or helping water the garden, and in exchange you would get five dollars. After you finished working, you would both go inside and she would pour you a glass of lemonade and teach you how to play chess.

You also made friends with the various stray animals around your house. There was an old dog with a ragged ear and bright yellow eyes that you named Charlie, and he would follow you around when you were outside, begging for pets and treats. If you had a sandwich you usually split it two ways with him. 

There was also a cat who hissed at you every day when you brought food, but you kept coming back and eventually they trusted you enough to let you pet her. You named her Ham, because that was her favorite thing to eat. She was small, with soft ears that had tufts of white fur speckled with black spots. 

 

But you never stayed at one place for very long. 

Maybe it would have hurt less if you had given up on making friends, but you never did. 

 


	8. time to create

"hey kiddo. you, uh, you trying to make something here?"

You nod, pushing the recipe book over to him.

"are you sure you're allowed to use the oven? wouldn't want toriel to become too  _fired up_ at the idea of you being in any sort of danger."

You explain what you are trying to do.

"making a pie, huh? why are you trying to do it on your own? you know, toriel would easily  _pie_ and help you bake something if you just asked her."

You giggle, continuing to mix together the ingredients 

"SANS! IF I WASN'T TRYING TO BEAT MY RECORD OF 1,000,000,001 PUSH UPS IN A ROW, I WOULD GO OVER THERE AND HAVE A SERIOUS CONVERSATION WITH YOU ABOUT YOUR ATTEMPT TO CORRUPT FRISK INTO A PUN-LOVING WEIRDO LIKE YOURSELF!" Papyrus shouts at his normal volume from the living room. 

 

Hearing Papyrus' quest to beat his record makes you feel DETERMINED.

You begin to stir faster.

Some of the batter ends up on the floor, but you'll clean it up at the end. Mom says the best time to cleanup the kitchen is after you've finished baking anyway. 

Using your thumbs, you crack two eggs into the bowl. When a few shells get in the batter, you try scooping them out with a spoon, but they keep sliding off, so you pick them up with your fingers. Your hands are clean enough that it won't matter in the end.

Sans is now standing in front of the living room entrance, still holding the baking book you gave him. You think he's probably forgotten about it. 

 

"sure thing paps. say, how many push ups have you done anyway?"

"I'VE JUST COMPLETED MY 934,878th PUSH UP! ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS, THAT LEAVES ME WITH ONLY 999,065,123 PUSH UPS TO GO!"

"well, good for you. exercise is a great way to stay healthy. in fact, i thought i might start biking to stay fit."

 

You continue stirring the ingredients together. 

 

"WOWIE! BROTHER, I ALWAYS KNEW YOU HAD IT IN YOU! I KNEW THAT ONE DAY, YOU WOULD FIND YOUR MOTIVATION AGAIN! I'M SO PROUD OF YOU, BROTHER!"

"yeah, it's great. the only problem is, i couldn't go biking today."

"NYEH? HOW SO?"

"you see paps, i wanted to go biking, but i was just  _two tired_."

"SANS! YOU HAVE JAPED ME AGAIN FOR THE VERY LAST TIME!"

 

You have finished stirring the ingredients together. 

 

 

Time to bake.

You carefully pour the contents of the bowl into a pie tin, and nothing spills. 

The oven is a bit tricky to open, but you manage to get it. You push the pie tin onto the bottom rack, and carefully close the door.

Since you gave the recipe book to Sans, you don't know what temperature to set the oven to. You want to bake it quickly, so you turn the dial to its highest setting.

Seeing your hard work achieved makes you feel DETERMINED. 

 

"SANS?"

"yeah, bro?"

"DO YOU SMELL SOMETHING DELICIOUS COMING FROM THE KITCHEN?"

"smells like something burning. wait," sans whirls around, eye sockets empty, "..."

You look at the stove, then back at Sans.

"pap! hurry!"

Somehow, without you noticing, Sans has teleported you to where he was standing before. 

Papyrus rushes into the kitchen.

 "WELL DONE FRISK! I SEE YOU'VE BEEN CONTINUING YOUR TRAINING AS WELL!"

His eyes sparkle with joy.

Meanwhile, Sans is trying to bat out the flames with a towel.

"pap!"

"ALTHOUGH I ADMIRE YOUR SKILLS AND VALIANT EFFORTS, I AM AFRAID TORIEL WILL BE UPSET IF YOUR HOME BURNS DOWN. ALLOW ME TO ASSIST!"

Papyrus immediately runs off, and you hear him bump into various objects along the way. "AHA! FOUND IT!"

When he burst back into the kitchen, he is wielding a fire extinguisher. 

 

With Papyrus' help you manage to put the fire out. 

"the smoke alarm wasn't working. guess it needs new batteries."

"INDEED. IN FACT, I'LL SHALL RUN TO THE STORE RIGHT NOW!"

With that, Papyrus leaps out of the nearby window. 

Luckily, the window had been left open.

 

Sans looks around the kitchen, eyelights barely there. You look around too. 

"sheesh, kid. looks like you went all out with your baking. next time, though, you might want to curb in your enthusiasm a bit. otherwise all your hard work will go up...in flames."

You don't laugh. Your throat and chest feel heavy, and your eyes have started welling with tears.

You had wanted to make something for Toriel, and now it was all ruined. You ruined the pie, ruined Mom's kitchen. 

_I ruin everything._

 

"kiddo? you okay?"

"hey, i bet the pie is still good. why don't i be the first one to take a slice, huh? i can be your taste tester, what do you say?

You wipe your nose on your sleeve. 

"..."

Sans takes out your attempt at a pie. It doesn't look anything like the ones Mom makes. You feel even worse.

Using a fork and knife, Sans attempts to break through the crust. Eventually he manages to chip off a piece. 

Before your very eyes, he somehow takes a bite of the pie.

You watch him with baited breath. 

"..."

"..."

"you know what kiddo? this is the best pie i've ever eaten, hands down."

Warmth spreads throughout your entire body. You beam.

 

_I did it! I made a pie all by myself AND Sans liked it!_

 

 "since it will probably take toriel a while to get back from the pta meeting, i might as well eat the whole thing before it gets cold."

Sitting down, Sans proceeds to eat the entire pie.

When he's finished, he wipes the crumbs off his coat.

"thanks for the pie, kiddo."

 

Knowing that you made a pie that Sans enjoyed fills you with DETERMINATION. 

 

"but, uh...maybe we should clean up a bit before toriel comes back."

 

 


	9. and remember

_You have a plan._

_Maybe it's not the best plan, but it's all you have left to give._

_You will do anything for your family, and even though you're a kid, you know you're grown up enough to realize that things won't change for a very long time._

_Maybe even never at all._

_Not without your help._

_You don't care whether or not you ever see the Surface again, but.._

_You have a plan._

_And you are DETERMINED to see it through._

 

_Maybe it's not the greatest plan in the world,_ _but you know there aren't any options left._

_Not for anyone else._

 

_This might a different form of determination, a type of resigned heroics. A form of acceptance, knowing that this will be something you can't undo._

I will take on this, knowing full well that there will be no continuation. Not for me.

 _You will do anything to protect your family._  

 

 

 


	10. carrying the weight of a promise

_Asriel is a bit of a baby. He'll deny it, but he is. For one thing, Asriel's small, even smaller than you. He's small, and he's soft, and he cries a lot._

_This, among other things, makes him a baby._

  
_"Howdy! Um...are you okay? Here, let me help."_

 _You look up at the strange goat creature. He doesn't look like a grownup._ _He looks like a human kid, except covered in fur._

_His paw...hoof...is extended outwards, his smile cheerful, yet concerned._

_"I won't hurt you, I promise."_

 

_Whenever Asriel has nightmares, he crawls into your bed._

_(The first time he did that, you kicked him off onto the floor. It wasn't that far off from the ground anyway, so he had no reason to complain.)_

_"Chara, that hurt!"_

_"I know," you had grumbled, "and I'm trying to sleep."_

_"Please, Chara? I promise I won't snore."_

_"You always snore." But you move over, giving him some space despite your annoyance._

_Asriel gets into the bed, curls up next to you._

_"Go to sleep."_

_"Okay Chara."_

_"Sleeping people don't talk."_

_You pull the pillow over your head._

_The sound of Asriel's soft breathing lulls you into a deep sleep._

 

_"My name's Asriel. What's yours?"_

_You don't say anything, but you grip his hand a little bit tighter._

 

_It took you a while to trust the king and queen. Even though they're not human, they're still adults, and therefore, you had rationed, still dangerous._

_One afternoon, you found the king gardening._

_"Hello Chara. Would you like to help me water these flowers? "_

_They don't look like flowers to you. They look like weeds._

_The king must have noticed your skeptical look, because he says "They may not look like flowers now, but give them time, and they will bloom beautifully. But for now, I need to make sure that these flowers have a chance to grow."_

_Something warm uncurled in your chest, ice slowly melting away and leaving behind something that felt like a fragile sort of hope._

_You hold out both hands, and he smiles. "Here, I'll show you how much water they'll each need."_

_You spent the rest of the afternoon helping the king...helping your dad...garden._

 

 

_For a while, you didn't say anything at all. You'd followed Asriel around as he showed you his room. "Mom and Dad said there's enough space for another bed, so that means we can share! It'll be like a sleepover! Have you ever been on a sleepover?"_

_You had shook your head._

_"Me neither. But I've heard they're a lot of fun! I promise that it will be the best ever!"_

 

_The king and queen moved a bed into Asriel's room. Queen Toriel had asked you beforehand "Are you alright with this arrangement, my child?"_

_You hadn't reacted to the question, and instead took another bite out of the snail pie. It had a weird texture, but tasted alright._

_Asriel beamed. "Yeah, they were really excited! I bet they're just tired now."_

_You nodded._

 

_Then-_

 

_...you're in your shared room, making a pillow fort._

_"Why can't I come in, Chara?"_

_"Read the sign. No babies allowed."_

_"Pleeaaase?"_

_"...fine, but you have to promise me that when the secret police finds out and throws me into jail, you'll break me out."_

_"I promise!"_

 

_...you're in the kitchen, watching the queen bake. She's softly humming a song you don't recognize._

 

_...you're in the garden, making flower crowns with Asriel. Some of the ground is damp with moisture. When Asriel isn't looking, you splatter some mud on his fur. Asriel leaps up in surprise, and you start laughing for the first time in a long while. "Chaaaraaa!" he whines, but there's a glimmer of joy in his eyes._

_Then he throws a splatter of mud back. Some of it gets in your mouth, while the mud you had just thrown has now dried in his fur, but both of you are laughing._

_(You end up having a mud fight, and  both of you come back home covered in dirt and leaves.)_

 

_...you're in your room, both of you and Asriel in bed. Mom bends down and gives Asriel a kiss on the forehead. She comes over to you. Before you had turned away. Now you allow your forehead to be kissed as well. Her smile is full of warmth and comfort. "Goodnight, my children."_

 

_..you approach the queen, feet pattering on the linoleum floor. She turns slightly and stops stirring. "Have you ever made a pie, Chara? If you don't mind, I might need an extra hand, and I would be honored if you would be my helper for this afternoon."_

_You slowly walk over to her. She's wearing a flowery apron that reads,"Learning how to bake is easy, it just takes mind over batter."_

_She hands you a spoon. "One of my favorite things to do as a child was to help my mother bake. I have so many fond memories of our time spent together, and baking helps me remember those happy times."_

_Toriel smiles, her eyes soft. "I've finished the batter, but now it needs a good stirring, and I think you'd be up for the job."_

_She_ _helps you stir the batter._

_At the end, she giggles, and says, "The best part of baking is at the end, when you get to lick the batter. Asriel enjoys this part as well, but since he's helping Asgore, I believe it's your turn."_

_The batter is sweet, and you lick the spoon clean._

_"Do you like it? It's the first time I've tried making chocolate pie, but Asriel's told me it's your favorite, so I decided to give it a go."_

_You hug Mom tightly, and she hugs you back, a soft enveloping warmth that makes you feel at home._

 

_...the music box plays a familiar tune. Toriel has pulled Asgore across the room and now they are dancing together. You grab Asriel, and despite his protests, is pulled into dancing with you, an attempt that leaves you both on the floor, giggling madly._

 

_..."Chara? What's the Surface like?"_

_"Everyone walks around in their dirty underwear all the time, and it's super gross, and everything and everybody smells really bad."_

_"Wouldn't the smell travel down here?"_

_"No, cause the Barrier stops it."_

_"Oh."_

 

_..."Chara? What are humans like?"_

_"Humans like to fry children up and eat them for dinner. You should be glad you're not up there."_

 

_..."Chara? What's the sun like?"_

_"It'll burn your skin right off as soon as you step outside. Then your face will fall off and you'll live forever without a face."_

 

_..."Chara? Are you telling the truth about the Surface?"  
_

_"You said you'd always believe me, didn't you? You promised.Besides, you've never been above so how do you even know?"_

_"Umm...I guess you're right. I promise I won't doubt you again."_

 

_...."Asriel, I made you a pie. It's chocolate."_

_"Thanks, Chara!"_

_"....EWWWW it's mud pie! CHaaarrraaaa!"_

_"My bad. I meant to say mud pie."_

_"You covered it in frosting!"_

_"Honest mistake."_

_...."'I'm Chara," you whisper, voice hoarse from disuse. Asriel smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Chara!"_

 

_..."Chara?"_

_"I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise not to tell. You have to promise with all your soul, no backsies allowed."_

_"Is it dangerous? Maybe Mom or Dad should help us..."_

_"I'm not going to tell you anything until you promise not to tell."_

_"...I promise."_

_"Good, because I need your help."_

 

_...his smile is full of warmth. You take a hold of his hand, and he helps you up. His grip is steady but soft._

_"Promise?"_

_"I promise. No one will ever hurt you, cause I'll protect you, I promise!"_


	11. i will not remain

_"Stay here. I'll be right back."_

Adults are the ones who usually say a variation of that sentence, though sometimes kids your age have said that to you as well.

 

After a while, you learned that most people who say this aren't going to come back. 

Maybe they couldn't, or maybe they were lying the whole time. You don't know. 

So you keep moving regardless of what anyone says to you.

 

 


	12. someone who waits

Snow crunches under your shoes. The soles have become damp, and the water is leaking into your socks.

You take a handful of snow, taste it.

It tastes just like the snow on the surface. 

You shiver.

Your nose is running, and it hurts when you wipe your face with your sleeve. 

You shakily dial the only number on your phone.

Wait. 

No one answers.

You call again.

Wait.

Wait.

No one answers.

 

You didn't want to leave the door, just in case Toriel changes her mind-  _what if as soon as I leave, she opens the door?_

You've never left someone before, not like this. 

_Why couldn't I listen to her?_

_I just should have stayed with her._

Would you have made a different choice if you had known back then what lay ahead?

You don't know. 

 

You still don't really know what you're going to face. But what you do know is that Toriel was so afraid for you that she was willing to fight you so you wouldn't leave. 

 

You look at the snow, at your footsteps making a line back and forth in front of the door. You close the phone, pocket it.

_Maybe the signal is jammed?_

It could be, and maybe that's why she isn't answering. 

_Maybe if I move, the signal will get better._

 

Your new goal makes you feel DETERMINED.

 


	13. but there is a place

"YOU SEE FRISK, IN ORDER TO BE A WELL ROUNDED INDIVIDUAL, YOU NEED TO HAVE MULTIPLE HOBBIES! I READ IT IN ONE OF THOSE SELF HELP BOOKS THAT UNDYNE'S GIRLFRIEND KEEPS READING!"

Papyrus stops, smiles warmly down at you, his hand patting your shoulder gently. 

"NO DOUBT YOU ARE A VERY WELL ROUNDED INDIVIDUAL INDEED! BUT, I WORRY THAT MY BROTHER'S ONLY INTERESTS ARE STILL BAD PUNS AND SLEEPING. I WANT HIM TO BE...HAPPIER. I KNOW HE MAY SEEM HAPPY ALL THE TIME, BUT...LATELY I'VE BEEN THINKING..."

You look up at him, concerned, because Papyrus as you know him is usually cheerfully optimistic that Sans will one day find enough motivation to do something.

"I STILL BELIEVE THAT HE JUST NEEDS TO FIND SOMETHING THAT WILL MOTIVATE HIM. I KNOW HE USED TO ENJOY SCIENCE, BUT HE HASN'T BEEN INTERESTED IN THAT...FOR A LONG TIME.I'M NOT SURE WHEN OR WHY, ACTUALLY, BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT." 

You reach up and try to give him a shoulder pat. You only manage to reach past his elbows, so you just pat there instead.

"YOU ARE A GOOD FRIEND, FRISK."  
You beam at him. 

"I'VE TRIED MANY TIMES, BUT DESPITE MY BEST EFFORTS I FEAR HE NO LONGER TAKES MY INCREDIBLE ADVICE SERIOUSLY. I KNOW HE LOVES ME, AND I LOVE HIM, BUT HE HAS A HABIT OF BARELY LISTENING TO ANYONE, MOST LIKELY BECAUSE HE IS BUSY THINKING UP TERRIBLE PUNS. BUT...MAYBE I WAS WRONG ABOUT HIM. MAYBE HE NEEDS SOMETHING THAT I...CANNOT HELP HIM WITH. NOT BY MYSELF."

His smile is still bright, but there is something is his voice that tells you he might not be feeling as sunny as his grin implies.

You pat him on the arm again, and it seems to help a little. 

You take a breath.

Hold it.

Release it.

"FRISK?"

The ice in your throat dissolves, just enough for you to say- 

"I'll help."

"THAT MEANS A LOT TO ME FRISK. YOU ARE TRULY A GREAT FRIEND."

You hold your arms up to give him a hug, and he picks you up. 

You kiss him on the forehead.

"FRISK, I KNOW YOU MAY STILL CONTAIN ROMANTIC FEELINGS TOWARDS ME, BUT I KNOW WE AGREED WE ARE BETTER OFF AS FRIENDS. DO NOT WORRY FRISK, FOR I AM SURE THERE WILL BE MANY OUT THERE WHO WILL LOVE YOU IN THAT WAY."

You giggle.

Papyrus puts you down, and for a moment you mourn the fact that you are now short. 

"paps turn you down again? that's rough, kiddo."

Both of you whirl around.

Sans is standing there, slouching as usual, hands deep in his coat pockets. 

"SANS! MUST YOU ALWAYS APPEAR OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE THAT? ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S SO COLD. FRISK COULD HAVE FALLEN!" Papyrus stomps a foot in mock irritation.

"so, you're saying i chilled them...to the bone?" Sans winks at you, both hands pointed, fingergun style.

"SANS, YOU ALREADY TOLD THAT ONE TODAY!"

"what can i say? some things need to be experienced more than once before it really sinks in."

"UGH."

"so, what were you guys talking about, anyway?"

"UMMMM...I WAS JUST TELLING FRISK ABOUT MY NEW ATTEMPTS TO BECOME A WELL ROUNDED INDIVIDUAL! SO FAR, I THINK I MIGHT START GARDENING, WHICH FRISK ALSO EXPRESSED AN INTEREST IN. BUT IN ORDER TO BE A CLUB, WE NEED AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE, AND I THINK YOU WOULD ALSO LIKE GARDENING AS WELL!"

"i would, paps, but i know i don't have a green thumb. why don't you ask the king to join? in the meantime, i'll  _leaf_ you to figure out the details."

"SANS-"

But Sans is already gone.

"MUST HE ALWAYS DO THAT? YOU SEE FRISK, THIS IS WHY I AM WORRIED FOR HIM. THOUGH THERE ARE NOW MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES NOW THAT WE HAVE REACHED THE SURFACE, HE DOES NOT SEEM...WELL, HE STILL DOES NOT WANT TO DO MUCH AT ALL. I READ IN THAT SELF HELP BOOK THAT THIS MIGHT...MEAN THAT SANS IS GOING THROUGH A DIFFICULT TIME."

"I WISH I COULD HELP HIM REALIZE THAT HE IS ALSO A COOL PERSON WHO CAN DO MANY GREAT THINGS, AND THAT HE CAN RELY ON ME TO HELP HIM. I WILL KEEP TRYING, BUT MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO THAT WILL HELP HIM AS WELL."

You nod fiercely, now DETERMINED to help Sans.


	14. that i cannot quite remember

Sometimes, your dreams don't belong to you.

 

_You are standing...somewhere._

_A room, or a long hallway._

 

_You are standing in a long hallway._

_Nothing is happening._

_The air feels stale._

_You shift uneasily from one foot to the other._

_Even though you know this is a dream, you feel tired._

_You feel..._

_You feel..._

_Nothing._

_You are standing in a long hallway._

_You are surrounded by silence._

_You might be waiting for something to happen._

 

_You are standing in a long hallway._

_You are waiting for someone._

_You hear the echo of footsteps drawing near._

 

_You are in a long hallway with someone in front of you._

_They are nothing but a shadowy figure._

_The creature's head look up, and grins with too sharp teeth._

 

_In the creature's right hand, there is a knife covered in dust._

welcome back.


	15. i think these titles

hey. i'm sans, and i'm here to talk about something very important to me. you see, many people don't get the appeal of puns, claiming that such wordplay isn't funny. 

myself? i think puns are  _humerous._

not only that, but it takes a lot of effort to always think up witty zingers at any moments notice. course, i've had many years of practice, and i can safely say that i am an expert when it comes to being  _punny_.

even people who claim to hate puns secretly enjoy them. take paps, for instance. he'll groan loudly at my puns, but i know he finds them funny. sometimes he'll even make a pun or two himself.

unless he's a glutton for  _pun_ ishment, i think it's fair to say that he enjoys hearing puns.

you know, my bro is the coolest person i've ever met. if you've ever met him, you'd know why.

have you tried his cooking lately? he's actually gotten a lot better. when he discovered there are actually hundreds of different pasta recipes, he was so excited to try every single one out. i told him that now we were on the surface, he had endless  _pasta_ bilities. 

he dumped cold noodles om my head.

i've been too lazy to take them off, and now i don't have to move off the couch to get a snack.

win-win.

skeleton puns are my go-to, but i like having a variety. 

anyway, i would write more but i don't feel like 


	16. carry nothing but confusion

You are outside in dad's garden, guarding the plants from any dangerous beings that might attack. 

In your left hand you wield a wooden spoon. It was one of Mom's, but she had thrown it out because it was splintery and got slivers of wood inside the pies. You asked her if you could have the spoon, and she agreed, but told you to be careful with it. So you always have a glove on to protect your hand before you pick up the spoon. 

You wiggle your toes into the warm soil. The sun is warm against your face. 

So far you have seen a salamander, three earthworms, and many ants. You would have counted them, but they kept moving too much and you felt bad for bothering them. You bet they don't like being observed any more than you do. 

 

Now that he's on the surface, dad can plant a whole bunch of new things that he couldn't before, and they grow a lot better as well. You make sure to sign words of encouragement to give them the motivation to grow. Dad always says that communicating with plants helps with their growth and general well-being. 

"They're good listeners as well," he had said, his smile soft and warm, but with a hint of sadness that you could barely detect. You had hugged him. It took him a second to hug back, but after you stepped back you saw the grief had slipped away.  

 


	17. and translate poorly

School has always been difficult for you. 

You like learning, but you're not good at taking tests or following instructions, and you're no good at talking either. You like art, but most of the schools you went to didn't have art classes. 

When you first started school, it was easier to make friends, but then it wasn't anymore. You tried your best, but people your age didn't seem to like being around you, and you didn't want to force anyone to be your friend.

It was your second grade teacher who taught you the basics of sign language. You remember the feeling that the whole world was opening up right before your eyes.

"There are many ways to communicate," Mr. Kowalski had explained,"and even though most people think can we only speak with our voice, that is far from the truth. You deserve to be listened to, no matter what anyone might say."

 


	18. and now for something completely different

You like collecting stuff.

Sparkly pens, interesting looking rocks, colorful band-aids, bottle caps...

Your most prized possession is a grey rock covered in tiny holes and ridges, because it actually floats.

"That's a pumice rock," your original mother had explained when you held it up for her to examine. "It floats because it contains air bubbles. Eventually, though, it will sink."

You spent the afternoon in the backyard with the pumice rock, your toys, and a bucket filled with water, trying to get one of your toys to float on top of the stone. 

 

Your first mother had been a scientist who studied rocks and stuff like that. 

You didn't have a father.

 

"Geology, Frisk, is the study of rocks. Even though they don't seem interesting at first, we can actually learn a lot about the past by examining them. We know a lot more about dinosaurs because sedimentary rocks can preserve trace fossils."

You hadn't been exactly sure what a 'trace fossil' was, but you did know what fossils were, so you were impressed. 

You aren't sure how old you had been at the time, but you remember wanting to be just like her when you grew up.

 

You know your first mother had liked you. She said that she liked talking with you, but since you didn't say anything it was just her talking. You didn't mind listening, but sometimes you wished she would slow down so you you could figure out what to say. 

 You remember her constantly in motion, endlessly running so fast that it was hard to keep up. 

She didn't hug you, but occasionally she would ruffle your hair.

You know your mom had liked you, but you always knew, even when you were very little, that she had never been quite sure what to do with you. 

You weren't quite sure what to with yourself either. 

 

You never stayed anywhere for very long. The longest you had stayed in one place was six months and five days, and you know this because you had carefully marked out each day with your second favorite green crayon that was called _Forrest Green_.

(Your favorite crayon was a red one named  _Rubyish Red_ , but you only used that crayon in emergencies, since it was whittled down to barely a stub.)

You like drawing a lot, but you also like the names of the crayons.  _Orange Sunset, Tropical Banana, Just Beige, Canada, Pink Frosting_ ; you had imagined yourself at a crayon factory thinking up of new crayon names, and then making a giant batch of them in a huge bowl. 

 

You remember that crayon box sadly, because it had been left behind at Apartment #4. Your mom had woken you up in the middle of the night, told you "It's an emergency, Frisk, we have to leave before they find us," and carried you outside without taking anything but her purse.

This was not an uncommon event, but usually your mom had given you time to pack up your stuff. 

You remember her pulling you along to the car, her hand tight against yours. It had been chilly, and your bare feet hurt from running on gravel.

Your mom buckled you in the front seat, which you had always found cool because none of the other kids your age were grownup enough to sit anywhere but the back. You, on the other hand,  _were very mature for your age_ , as your teachers put it, which meant that you could do grownup stuff like stay by yourself for a couple days when your mother was at work and still go to school without being late.

Your mom left pocket money in various places, so you could always go to a nearby store and buy your favorite cereal,  _Sugar Blasted Marshmallow Chocolate-Filled Frosted Puffs_ , which was always on sale and usually had a buy two and get three deal. 

 

You are very good at finding the best deals.

 

One day, your mom and you went on a hiking trip to Mount Ebott. You had worn your favorite sweater, the one your grandma had made for your mom when she was a little kid. Most textures bother you, but this sweater is one of the few articles of clothing that doesn't make your skin itch. 

....

..........

......

.................................

Then.....

.....

.....

at the base of the mountain, she told you to wait there until she came back. Then she got into the car and drove away. 


	19. once upon a time part one

You like to read.

You like the smell of books, the feeling of running your hand along their soft paperback spines.

The smell of old books reminds you of your grandmother, who was head librarian in a small town with a name you can't remember.

Your mother used to leave you with your grandmother while she was at work. 

 

You called her Nana.

 

Nana liked to smoke cigars. "It's a nasty habit, Frisk. Don't let yourself become an addict to something this dangerous," she would warn you, and you would nod solemnly in return. 

She never smoked inside the library, though she would occasionally complain about "the wusses who made up those 'No Smoking' signs".

"When I was a kid, you had to grin and bear it,"she complained. "Then again, it wasn't like that era wasn't full of people with dumb ideas, so maybe you should take my advice with a grain of salt."

She would boop you on the nose with her thumb, which always made you giggle.

"Your mamma may like science, but I've always been a bit of a dreamer. I don't know if you'll end up like either of us, but I'll be proud of ya no matter what."

 

You lived with your mom and Nana in a small house with a giant tree in the front yard that you were always trying to climb. Nana always told you not to climb that tree, because "you'll fall and break your neck, kiddo," and for a few days you would listen. Somehow you always seemed to forget it until she reminded you again.  

 

Your mom and Nana would argue sometimes while you were in bed and they thought you couldn't hear. 

"I know you miss her, I miss her so much that sometimes I barely want to get out of bed. But Frisk needs you to be there for them. There's only so much I can do."

"Frisk is fine. Everything's fine. I'm fine, you're fine, everything is fine. It has to be fine, and it is fine."

 

While she worked, Nana would let you look at the books as long as you remained in her line of sight. She had a bowl of peppermints that she kept on the front desk. "For the kids,"she explained, while opening up another wrapper.

"Don't tell your mother, she's already on my case about my smoking, I don't need her to know I have a sugar addiction as well." She winked, and you blinked back in return, trying to mimic her. You frowned.

"Don't worry, you'll get it eventually."

After a few tries, you managed to wink back.

 

"You only start repeating stuff when you're lying to yourself." 

"I'm not lying! How can you say that when you're the one who gave up on momma!"

"..."

"You never bothered to look for her! You didn't care enough to stop her from leaving!"

 

One day you and your mom went on a walk around the park. You jumped onto fallen leaves, over stray puddles, and saw four dogs and a rock that looked like a dog from a distance. You gave it a pat anyway, because you didn't want it to feel bad.

At the edge of the park, there were some picnic tables and a few wooden benches. 

Your mom took your hand into hers. You looked at her, and she looked at you, but her gaze seemed to be looking through you as though you were a ghost and she could see straight through the earth all the way to the other side of the world. 

She walked to a bench, and, still holding your hand, had you both sit down. 

She didn't say a word.

Minutes passed. 

Your stomach got gurgly and loud and made rumbly sounds that sounded like grumbling.

You tugged your mom's hand slightly. 

She kept staring ahead.

You tried looking ahead too, but you couldn't see what she'd found so interesting.

It started raining, fine mist that made you shiver.

After what felt like hours (but probably was only thirty minutes or something, you didn't know how to read your mom's wristwatch and it was on the wrist of the hand she wasn't using to hold yours), you heard Nana call out. "Julie! Frisk!"

You saw her in the distance, practically sprinting towards you both. She was wheezing a little when she reached you, and had to take a couple of deep breaths. Your mom didn't look at her, or say anything at all.

"Julie? I need you to let go of Frisk, okay?"

Your mom's hold on your hand tightened. 

"Julie? Let me see Frisk, okay?" 

Eventually, your mom let go of your hand.

You hurried to your Nana, clinging onto her arm, watching your mother with frightened eyes.

"Julie, you need to come back. Frisk might catch a cold, and I don't want to leave you either."

"...I have to wait."

Your mom's voice was faint. "She said...she said to wait. I promised."

"I'm going to take Frisk home, and then come back, okay?"

Your mom didn't say anything at all.

 

When you both got back, your Nana made you brush your teeth and go to bed early. She ruffled your hair.

"Don't worry. Sometimes we all get a little lost in our heads. Your momma's still trying to sort things out, but it's not your fault."

 

It took you a while to fall asleep in an empty house. You lay still in the darkness, trying not to think about the scary things under your bed. 

Gathering up all your courage, you dangled a toy over the edge of the bed, and when nothing grabbed it, you felt a bit better.

 

You must have fallen asleep, because suddenly your mom was shaking your arm. You were still drowsy, and your brain felt fuzzy, and you barely noticed as she pulled shoes on your feet and your arms through your sweater.

"We have to go. We have to go. We have to go."

She carried you outside, even though you knew how to walk.

The rain had stopped.

She buckled you into the front seat, something she had never done before.

.......

You hadn't know then that you would never see your Nana again.


	20. this was getting too depressing so here's some papyrus!

"hey bro."

"HELLO, SANS! HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS AFTERNOON? I PRESUME YOU HAVE JUST WOKEN UP?"

"yep."

"SANS, I LOVE YOU, BUT SOMETIMES DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU AT ALL."

"sorry bro. i didn't mean to cause you un _rest_."

"SANS."

"papyrus."

"YES, THAT IS MY NAME."

"what're you up to bro?"

"I'M TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT KIND OF SPAGHETTI I WILL MAKE IN TOMORROW'S TRAINING SESSION! BUT THERE ARE SO MANY OPTIONS SANS!"

"sounds like you're overwhelmed by all the  _pasta_ bilities."

 

"oh, hey paps. you're back early."

"WHEN I GOT TO UNDYNE'S HOUSE, SHE AND HER GIRLFRIEND WERE ALREADY GETTING READY TO LEAVE FOR THEIR FLORIDA TRIP. UNDYNE SAID I WOULD HAVE TO SOLO TRAIN FOR A WHILE."

"how long will that be?"

"I THINK MAYBE A MONTH."

"so, what are you going to do in that time?"

"WELL, I FIGURED THAT IN ORDER TO SHOW UNDYNE HOW I'VE PROGRESSED I WOULD NEED TO DO SOMETHING AWESOME."

"you're already awesome bro, so i don't think that's going to be a challenge."

"YES, BUT I NEED IT TO BE EVEN MORE AWESOME. SO, I HAVE DECIDED TO MAKE MY OWN SPAGHETTI RECIPE AND WHEN UNDYNE COMES BACK WE CAN MAKE IT TOGETHER."

"that sounds interesting all right. you've got a smart noodle to think up such an idea."

"SANS, THAT LAST ONE DIDN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE."

"heh."

 

**HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI PIE**

**BY PAPYRUS**

HELLO HUMANS AND FELLOW MONSTERS! IT IS I, SOON TO BE FAMOUS CHEF PAPYRUS!

I HAVE JUST CREATED A SPECIAL RECIPE THAT I ENJOYED MAKING SO MUCH THAT I WANT TO SHARE IT WITH THE ENTIRE WORLD.

REMEMBER TO PUT ALL THE PASSION YOU HAVE INTO MAKING THIS DISH, AND YOUR LOVED ONES WILL NO DOUBT FEEL IT IN EVERY BITE! 

:D <\----THIS IS A SMILE OF ENCOURAGEMENT! YOU CAN DO IT! I BELIEVE IN YOU!

 

**INGREDIENTS**

  1. FLOUR
  2. SUGAR
  3. SALT
  4. SPRINKLES
  5. EGGS
  6. APPLES
  7. NOODLES
  8. TOMATOES 
  9. CHEESE
  10. MILK
  11. FROSTING
  12. KETCHUP
  13. DOUGH



 

IF YOU WANT TO ADD MORE STUFF, FEEL FREE TO ADD YOUR OWN TWIST TO THIS RECIPE. 

 

**INSTRUCTIONS**

**STEP ONE:** FILL A LARGE SAUCE POT WITH WATER. PUT THE POT OVER THE STOVE AND TURN IT ON. 

 **STEP TWO:** NOW MAKE THE SPAGHETTI SAUCE BY SMASHING EACH TOMATO WITH PASSION! ONCE YOU HAVE DONE THAT, YOU WILL PLACE ALL OF THE SAUCE INTO A BLENDER, ALONG WITH A CUP OF FLOUR.

THE FLOUR IS THERE SO THAT THE SPAGHETTI AND PIE WILL NOT TASTE SO WEIRD NEXT TO EACH OTHER.

BLEND THE MIXTURE UNTIL YOU THINK IT LOOKS READY. 

 **STEP THREE:** POUR HALF THE MIXTURE INTO A BOWL. LEAVE THE REST IN THE BLENDER FOR NOW.

 **STEP FOUR:** MIX TOGETHER WITH A CUP OF MILK AND A HANDFUL OF CHEESE.

TO ACHIEVE OPTIMAL DELICIOUSNESS, SHAKE THE BOWL TO MIX EVERYTHING TOGETHER INSTEAD OF USING A SPOON.

 **STEP FIVE:** FLATTEN SOME DOUGH USING ALL YOUR MIGHT AND POWER! 

 **STEP SIX:** PUT THE FLATTENED DOUGH OVER A PIE TIN. THEN POUR THE CONTENTS OF THE BOWL INTO THE PIE. PLACE THE PIE INTO THE OVEN AND WAIT FOR THIRTY MINUTES.

 **STEP SEVEN:** BY NOW THE WATER SHOULD BE READY. ADD THE NOODLES, SPRINKLES, MILK AND FROSTING, AS WELL AS THE THE OTHER HALF OF SAUCE LEFT IN THE BLENDER. YOU WILL NEED TO BOIL THIS ON HIGH UNTIL YOU START SEEING SMOKE TRAILING UPWARDS.

 **STEP EIGHT:** YOU WILL NOW HAVE YOUR SPAGHETTI AND YOUR PIE. ALL YOU NEED IS TO PUT THEM TOGETHER. PUT THE FINISHED PIE INTO A BLENDER, AND MAKE SURE TO BLEND WELL.

ADD YOUR SPAGHETTI INTO THE MIX, AND THEN BLEND AGAIN.

 **STEP NINE:** NEXT, BOIL SOME NOODLES IN A POT. ONCE THEY ARE READY, PLACE THE NOODLES ON A CLEAN PLATE, AND CAREFULLY POUR YOUR BLENDED MIX ALL OVER IT. 

USE THE FROSTING AS A SIDE SAUCE.

 **STEP TEN:** ENJOY EATING IT WITH ALL YOUR AWESOME AND SUPER-COOL FRIENDS! :D

 

 


	21. oodles of noodles

Papyrus places a plate full of...something in front of you. 

You poke at it hesitantly with your finger.

It looks like it's supposed to resemble spaghetti.

"THIS IS MY FIRST RECIPE INVENTION!" Papyrus beams at you, eyes sparkling with joy. "I CALL IT 'SPAGHETTI PIE'! BECAUSE IT IS SPAGHETTI BUT THE SAUCE IS MADE OF A MIXTURE OF SPAGHETTI AND PIE!"

The noodles look slightly charred, and the sauce has lumps in it. 

Using a spoon, you scoop out a mouthful. 

The chunk wobbles and wiggles on your spoon. 

Now that it's closer to your face, you can smell a strange scent coming off of it. 

 

You put the spoon in your mouth.

Chew.

Chew.

Swallow.

You immediately scoop up another spoonful and eat it much faster.

"WOWIE! NO ONE'S EVER QUITE LOVED MY SPAGHETTI THAT MUCH BEFORE!"

You manage to finish half of the plate before you feel too full to continue.

Papyrus is brimming with happiness. "I CAN'T WAIT TO SHOW THIS TO SANS!"


	22. take a break

Through many numerous studies and observations, one can no doubt conclude that all human souls contain different levels of DETERMINATION, something that monster souls seem to lack entirely. Aside from that, human and monster souls share many similarities to one other, and I can't help but theorize that newly formed souls are neither monster nor human, and whether or not they are exposed to DETERMINATION while developing will influence their species. 

Would an artificial soul created in a lab with monster DNA be born a human if they were exposed to enough DETERMINATION? Or would their soul become half human and half monster? 

Is it even possible to extract pure DETERMINATION from a human soul?


	23. the secret language of turtles part one

You're playing outside in the backyard when you spot something wriggling in the dirt.

It's a small turtle lying on it's back, feet pedaling furiously in an attempt to get up. 

Carefully, you turn the turtle right-side up. Even though you have small hands, the turtle is small enough to fit in both of your cupped palms. 

Once the turtle is upright, you give it a small pat on its shell.

The turtle blinks up at you. 

You blink back at the turtle.

It's shell is dark green speckled with brown patches, and its tiny feet are webbed. 

It looks like it might be thirsty.

 

You go inside and ask mom for a small dish. 

"Whatever do you need it for, my child?"

You explain about the turtle.

"How kind of you, Frisk. I think I have something that will be perfect."

Your mom gets out a small china  dish with slightly curved edges, enough to hold water. 

"Frisk, would you mind filling up a cup with water?"

 

Once you're both outside, you mom places the dish next to the turtle. "This is a rather small one, my child. Perhaps even newly hatched."

You carefully pour some water into the dish and wait.

The turtle begins walking to the plate. Once it reaches the edge it stops. 

Looks at the water.

Then carefully climbs in.

It looks a lot happier now.

"Why don't we leave our young friend alone, I'm sure they must want some privacy." Mom takes your hand, and you both go inside. 

 

The next morning, you come outside to see the turtle is still there, just no longer in the plate.

You crouch next to the turtle. 

The turtle blinks up at you.

You blink back.

Carefully, so the turtle won't miss it, you finger-spell your name 

_"F...R...I...S...K."_

The turtle blinks, slower this time. 

It takes a few steps closer to you.

You hold out one of your fingers, and it starts slowly chewing on one of them.

It only feels like small pinpricks.

The turtle stops nibbling on your pinkie finger. 

You realize it must be hungry. 

 

You go inside and grab a strawberry. Wash it off.

You go outside, and start mushing the strawberry up into much smaller pieces. 

You put one of the pieces in front of the turtle.

It's neck stretches, and it grabs the piece with its mouth. 

It chews carefully.

Once it is finished, you place enough piece in front of the turtle. 

The strawberry piece is also eaten.

You continue placing bits of strawberry until the turtle no longer seems interested in the food.

Your stomach growls.

"Frisk! Lunchtime!"

You pat the turtle on its shell, and head inside.


	24. once upon a time (interlude)

"Julie?"

When she returns to the park, she sees that Julie is still sitting on the same bench. 

"Jules?" 

Nana stands in front of her daughter, who still hasn't said a word.

Julie's hands are clenched tight on her lap.

 

"You need to come home. Frisk needs you."

"What do you know about what Frisk needs?" she bites out,eyebrows furrowed into a deep scowl. There are deep bags underneath her eyes, fingernails bitten down to the quick.

"I know they need you to be there, that's what I know." Nana habitually reaches for a cigar, then remembers she had left all of them at home.

"You're always looking down on me, ever since I came back. You think I'm a bad parent, but it wasn't like you were any better!" With that, Julie gets off the bench. 

"Jules-"

"Don't call me that!"

"...Nothing could have been done to stop her from leaving. When someone wants to go, there isn't anything you can say to stop them."

"I wasn't good enough, and neither were you! If you really loved her, she wouldn't have left us. You didn't even care when she left! You could have tried, but you didn't even bother! And yet you're here all high and mighty claiming that I don't care enough about Frisk."

"I never said that-"

"You sure implied it."

"...Please come home, Jules."

"I don't need you anymore. I'll show you."

With that, Julie took off into the darkness.


	25. the secret language of turtles part one and a half

The turtle has been living in your backyard for about a week now.

After a couple days, Toriel suggests, "Why don't you give your little friend a name, since they seem to enjoy being around you so well. I think you've gotten to know them well enough to give them one."

 

You're not sure whether the turtle already has a name, so you give them a nickname instead.

You make sure the turtle is looking in your direction when you sign

_"V...E...R...D...A...N...A"_

The newly named Verdana seems pleased with your choice. 

 

Verdana likes strawberries, but they won't eat pineapple or watermelon. When you offer Verdana either of those two options, they will instead chew on your finger.

It kind of tickles in a pinching sort of way.

 

Verdana also likes head scratches, and being petted on their shell. They also like sitting on your shoulder.

You show Verdana your room. Verdana chews on your hair, and doesn't seem interested.

You give them another piece of strawberry.

 


	26. something small and mighty

You are not a tall person, but you do not consider yourself small. 

Everyone else is just way too tall.

 

You tell this to Sans one day.

"makes sense, kiddo, although i always like to think i'm the  _height_ of comedy."

You smile at the pun. 

 

There are downsides of being short, like not being able to reach high items on the shelves.

You usually just climb up to reach them, anyway.

 

It's late in the afternoon, and Toriel has just made some lemonade, when there's a soft knock at the door.

You're sitting at the dining room table, which gives you a clear view of the front of the house, so you see who it is when Mom opens the door. It's Asgore, head bowed, looking sheepish.

You wonder if Sans would consider that a pun. 

"Hello, Asgore," Mom's voice is distant, but less frosty than it had been when they first spoke to one another.

Asgore's voice is quieter, with a trace of sadness mixed with love.

"Howdy. I was...just...I just wanted to check up on you and Frisk...not implying that you needed assistance, but..."

Toriel doesn't say anything.

"...I might as well go."

"...Why don't you come inside, a least for a while. I'm sure Frisk would be happy to see you, and I've made far too much lemonade for two people to drink anyway." Toriel's voice is now softer, filled with an emotion you can't quite identify.

She moves aside, allowing Asgore inside.

"That sounds lovely."


	27. the secret language of turtles part two

You hold up Verdana for Papyrus to see. His eyes sparkle. 

In a quieter voice (for Papyrus), he greets your turtle. 

"Hello, Verdana!"

Verdana blinks slowly at him. You explain that's how the turtle says hello to new friends.

Papyrus now looks thrilled.

"Wowie! Already I have earned the respect to gain the title of friendship! Well, do not worry, Verdana! I promise to be the greatest friend that I can be!"

You motion for Papyrus to pick up Verdana. 

"Nyeh? Are you sure, Frisk? I worry about dropping your friend! After all, what kind of friend would I be if I dropped them?"

You tell them that you trust them, and so does Verdana. 

Carefully, he holds out both of his hands cupped together. You place Verdana in his palms.

Papyrus holds Verdana gently, making sure the turtle won't fall or get crushed.

The turtle looks up at the skeleton, and takes a few steps across his gloves, before settling down again.

You show Papyrus how Verdana likes being pet on their shell. 

"You know Verdana, you remind me of a certain lazy skeleton. I think you two would get along very well, seeing as you both seem to enjoy lying around." Papyrus, despite his scoldings, sounds fond. 

Verdana blinks, this time more slowly. 

Looking down at the small turtle in his palms, Papyrus' smile is soft, his expression gentle.

Verdana begins chewing on one of his gloved fingers.

"Nyeh? Are you hungry, small turtle friend?"

You ask Papyrus if he wants to help feed Verdana. 

He nods, seemingly too excited to say anything. His eyes are sparkling. 

You head to the kitchen.

Papyrus follows close behind. 

After you motion towards the counter, Papyrus makes sure to set Verdana carefully down where you pointed.

Then you get out a strawberry, mash it up into little pieces. You hand one to Papyrus, who holds it in front of the turtle's mouth.

Verdana looks at the piece of strawberry.

Blinks.

Stretches their neck out and starts slowly nibbling daintily.

Slowly, piece by piece, the strawberry disappears.


	28. you are my strength

Your name is Chara.

According to an old book you were flipping through once out of sheer boredom, the name Chara means happiness and joy in Greek.

It's not a name the suits you at all.

 

You are not someone anyone would call joyful, and though you've been happy many times, you don't really think you've ever achieved true happiness, if that is even possible for someone to obtain.

Azzy calls you a bit of a downer, but when he sees you're feeling unhappy he hugs you and says, "Wanna color with me? Just don't take my green crayon."

(You steal his green crayon, and later pretend not to be looking when he steals the crayon back.)

 

"What's your favorite color? "

"Huh? Wha-Chara, it's...three in the morning!"

"No it's not. We're in the Underground, remember? You literally have no way of knowing right now what time it is."

"Ugghhhh...can I go back to bed now?"

"After you answer this question. What's your favorite color?"

"I guess...green and yellow? Pink is also a nice color."

"Fine." You slide off Asriel's bed, standing on the floor with your socked feet. 

"Chara?" Asriel sounds sleepily confused, but you tell him, "Go back to sleep."

"Alright...but can you...explain in the morning?"

"Sure."

With that, Asriel must have drifted off into sleep, because he soon starts snoring. 

His snores aren't loud or anything, but they can be irritating for someone if that person has to happen to sleep in the same room. 

After a while, though, you've gotten used to it, so much so that it's hard to sleep if he's not there. 

It just feels...safer, despite the fact that Asriel is too much of a baby to fight anyone even if they broke in to murderlize you both.

That's okay, because you're there to keep you both safe.

_Is this what it feels like to have a brother?_

 

When you complain about your name to Mom, she tells you that you have a lovely name. "I think that it suits your  _Chara_ ctor."

The bad pun makes you groan. 

Mom is the best, but she's also a huge dork sometimes.

 

You painstakingly draw on a piece of paper, making sure to color within the lines. When you're finally finished, you write a message using the green, yellow, and pink crayons. Then you hide the picture in your closet, where Asriel is likely to come across in a month of so. 

 

Asriel's curled up in the corner of your room, eyes prickling with tears. When he sees you, he immediately scrubs a hand across his face.

"'M not crying," he insists.

You plop down next to him on the soft carpet.

"Need me to beat someone up?"

"Chara!" This startles a laugh out of him, even though you both know that if he said yes than you would immediately track that person down and beat them senseless.

But Asriel won't do that, because he's a baby but mostly because there's something inside him that makes him better than you will ever be, a sort of kindness and forgiveness that you can never hope to fully understand.

It's also because he's a baby who cries when anyone gets hurt. 

"It's just...the other kids won't play with me, cause I'm too little and can't kick the ball right."

He sounds ashamed of this.

You think for a moment.

"We can practice, if you want. Then you'd be good enough, even if you're a shrimp."

 

 

One morning, you teach Asriel how to play Rock, Paper, Scissors.

"It's easy," you explain,"I'll say rock, paper, scissors, shoot, and when I say shoot, you will pick one of these hand signs."

You show him the hand gestures needed.

"Sounds fun!"

"It is."

"Rock, paper scissors, shoot!"

You choose scissors.

Asriel choose paper.

"Awwww..."

"That means I win a point."

"A point? What are we competing for?"

"The last slice of pie that Mom made."

Asriel now looks more determined to win.

 

After a few rounds, you're tied.

"Final round," you say, "winner takes all."

"Okay,"Asriel agrees.

"Rock-

"Paper-

"Scissors-

"SHOOT!" You both exclaim.

Asriel's hand is flat.

"Ummm...Chara? What's that symbol?"

"It's a knife. Knives beat everything. You lose."

"No fair! Chara, that's cheating!"

You start running as fast as you can to the kitchen, Asriel hot on your heels.

(You manage to get the pie, but after a few bites claim that he can have a bit for not being too much of a sore loser.)

 

Here is a secret you keep close to your chest:

_For you, Asriel, for you, Mom, for you, Dad, for everyone trapped in the Underground, I will fight a million humans if I need to, because your lives are important enough to kill for, to die for. Because I love you, I am willing to gain LOVE for you, even if it means none of you will be able to look me in the eye ever again._

It's not something you think about often, but it remains always in the back of your mind.

_I will fight the entire world to keep you safe, because you matter more than anything to me._


	29. to understand the nature of souls

Human souls are saturated with one particular characteristic, each corresponding with a varying color. From various encounters with human mages, it seemed that their magic is limited in the sense that they can only perform spells of their soul type. While I cannot say for certain, this leads me to believe that although humans are not made of magic, their souls very well might be. 

Monsters, being entirely made of magic, are not limited in the way humans are, although I have observed that monsters seem to prefer using one type of soul magic above any others. This preference seems to tie in with the personality of said monster, which, of course, brings up the nature vs nurture debate. 

I do not think it was a coincidence that the mages who created the Barrier were all seven of the different soul types.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one ended up being a bit shorter, so I decided to add some notes. I'm thinking about making longer stories based on various chapters, so that might come out soon.


	30. the tales we tell

Not too long before you fell into the Underground, your English teacher had everyone in the class write a story featuring a mythical creature and a hero. 

**The Dragon and the Librarian**

by Frisk

Once upon a time there was a dragon who liked to read, but every time they tried holding a tiny book to their face they would sneeze and ~~acidentally~~ accidentally burn it up. The town was mad at the dragon because all their books were gone, and the librarian was the most angry out of them all. So the librarian went up to the dragons cave and yelled "Come out here dragon" and when the dragon came out the librarian yelled "I ban you from my library forever" and the dragon was so sad it started to cry. The dragon cried so much that there was a flood. Now everyone was mad at the librian for hurting the dragons feelings, and the librarian felt bad but still was mad that all their books had been burned down. 

The townspeople made the librarian go and ~~apoglise~~ ~~apoligize~~ apologize to the dragon. "I'm sorry I shouted at you," the librarian said, "but I still can't let you back into the library anymore." The dragon stopped crying. "I'm sorry I burned all the books and also caused a flood. I didn't mean to burn all your books, I was just holding them up so I could see them better cause they're so small." 

The librarian did not know that. "Maybe I can help" they said to the dragon. "We need a wizard first, so they can use magic to make a book giant enough that you can read it easily."

So the town called for the wizard, who said he could do the spell for a million gold coins. "We don't have enough money" the mayor said, so the wizard left. 

The librarian then suggested that they get someone create a giant blank book and then write in it, which was less expensive. The town worked and worked together until they had created a giant blank book for the dragon. "Now we need someone to write in it" the librarian said, but no one wanted to do it because it was too difficult.

Then the dragon had an idea. "I will write my own stories in this book, and then I will read them to everyone. That way everyone can enjoy these stories until the librarian can get more books."

Everyone thought this was a wonderful idea, and the mayor said to the dragon that when the new books arrived the townpeople would all take turns visiting the dragon to read outloud the book, so the dragon wouldn't sneeze from the dust.

The dragon was so happy, that they decided to become a author, with the librarian writing down all their ideas on paper.

Both the librarian and the dragon were now best friends, and they started their own company making books and crayons.

**The End**

 


	31. creatures great and small

_Your class was sitting in a circle on the carpet, and your teacher asked each student what they wanted to be when they grew up._

_When she got to you, you'd whispered, "I want to be a meerkat."_

_The other kids had giggled, and not in a nice way._

_You didn't understand why._

_Your teacher asked you to repeat yourself._

_You thought,_ maybe they didn't hear you properly, and thought you said something else.

_Somehow, you managed to say, in a much clearer voice, "When I grow up I want to be a meerkat."_

_All the other kids had laughed._

_You remember feeling small, and trapped._

_You remember feeling panic swirl up inside you until you felt like you were going to burst._

_You remember bolting out of the classroom._

_Out of the school._

_You ran all the way home, where your mother was already packing to leave for another town._

 

 

_This time, you didn't mind moving._

 


	32. gut feeling is all i have to go on

It had taken you a while to realize your mom was not coming back.

But then you'd looked up at Mount Ebbott and realized  _oh, she's doing this so the bad people won't find me._

It had made sense at the time.

Mount Ebbott was the perfect place to hide, especially since everyone knew that myth about people never returning. 

This was a test, to see if you could handle figuring out her puzzle.

She wanted you to climb the mountain, obviously. You weren't sure what she wanted you to do after you reached the top, but you figured there would be more instructions there.

So, trusted stick in one hand, you prepared yourself for the climb.

 

 


	33. time together is well spent

You ask Toriel if you're bothering her, being around all the time.

Her smile turns sad. 

_I made Mom unhappy._

Your stomach feels twisty inside.

She puts her soft hands on your shoulders. "My child, you are very precious to me. You could never bother me."

You look up at her. 

She ruffles your hair gently. 

"Frisk, nothing in the world would ever stop me from loving you."

She hugs you close to her. 

There's a faint whisper at the edge of your mind;

_**you can trust her, I promise.** _

 

Sans has a lot of jobs.

You don't know if he likes any of them. 

He's kind of evasive when you ask him, but you think that's just his personality.

 

You know he likes puns, and sleeping, and Papyrus said he used to like science. 

You know he likes ketchup, and pranks.

You know he loves his brother more than anything else in the whole world.

 

Sans is kind of like an older brother, or what you imagine having an older brother would be like.

But sometimes...

You look at him and it's like he's seeing right through you, seeing someone else in your place, and you can't help but remember that the only reason he didn't kill you was because of a promise he made to mom. 

_**keep an eye on him, just in case.** _


	34. living together in harmony

Your first mom sometimes would bring strangers home.

(They usually didn't stay for very long.) 

You didn't like most of them, and it was a relief when they left, but you felt guilty at the same time, because your mom always was sad afterwards, so sad that she wouldn't leave her bed for hours and hours, and wouldn't say a single word or do anything at all.

 

Sometimes you wondered if it was your fault that everyone left your mom, because none of the people she brought back seemed happy to see you.

Some grumbled that "you hadn't said there would be a  _kid_ here, are you trying to con me into a relationship?"

You tried hiding in your room so you wouldn't ruin anything, and it worked sometimes, but not if they stayed longer than a day. 

 

Some of the people she brought back were alright. 

They usually didn't talk much to you, but they didn't seem to mind your presence as long as you were quiet enough.

(You are very good at being quiet, even when you don't try to be.)

 

Out of all the people who lived with you and your mom, the one who stayed the longest was a woman named Sophia.

Sophia didn't mind helping you with your homework, and she was good at explaining stuff in a way that didn't make you feel stupid.

She had thick glasses and a thin scar across her nose like a second smile, and she had long, red hair that she kept in a bun. Sometimes she would let you braid it. 

When she was there, your mom went outside more, and her hands didn't shake as much, and she even took you to the park.

 

After five months, though, Sophia left your mom, just like all the others had before her.

(Your mom didn't say anything to you for two weeks.)

 


	35. somewhere you cannot go

_Sometimes your mother just...stopped. She would lie in bed, barely moving, only getting up occasionally to go the bathroom and eat._

_(There were times where she wouldn't eat at all.)_

_You brought her cereal,and she would take slow, mechanical bites, not tasting anything at all._

_It was always terrifying, because you never knew when she would be herself again._

_(It was as if she was lost somewhere deep within her mind, and you couldn't help her get out.)_

 

_Your mother wasn't one to tell bedtime stories, usually because aside from her Grey Days, you never actually saw her ever sleep._

_You had to learn to put yourself to bed, but you knew that she did this because she believed in your ability to take care of yourself._

_"You have to learn how to depend on yourself, Frisk,"she said. "Sometimes things will happen and you'll have to be ready for the unexpected."_

_You had nodded, because everyone always said the best thing was to be prepared for anything._


	36. same as it never was

**_Have you ever felt as though you feel as though you've done or seen something before when you never experienced it in your life?_ **

**_People call that feeling déjà vu._ **

 

 ****The first time you saw Flowey, you felt a sense of wrongness that was alien to you.

_**He's not supposed to be like this.** _

_**It's my fault.** _

 

Sometimes you can't help but feel as though you've done this all before.

You think you would have remembered falling Underground, and as far as you know, you can only die once.

You're not sure about the ghost monsters, but you think that they don't count as being dead, because you know they can die for real, or at least, something tells you they can. 


	37. it's (still) you, but...

You're standing in a bed of yellow flowers. You can hear the sound of water dripping. 

_drip_

_drop_

_plink_

_plonk_

You try to take a step, but your feet are stuck to the ground. 

Then, a voice from the darkness. 

"Welcome back."

There's someone standing in front of you. 

It's you.

"..."

The other you's hands are covered in dust.

You look down at your own hands. 

They're clean.

 

Then you look back up. 

Your doppelganger is staring at you, their eyes wide with horror. 

Their hands are now clean.

As though they have never killed at all.

You look down at your own hands again.

They are clenched around a knife coated with dust.

"Welcome back."

_plonk_

_plink_

_drop_

_drip_

......

....

........

..................

......

Then, another voice cuts through the darkness. "FRISK? HOW DID YOU GET HERE?"

Your doppelganger is gone, and in their place stands a very familiar skeleton. 

You drop the knife, attempt to hide your dust covered hands behind your back.

You keep you gaze focused on your shoes.

"FRISK?" a large, gloved hand rests on your shoulder. You look up. 

"I KNOW YOU MUST HAVE BEEN SCARED, AND I DON'T BLAME YOU! SOMETIMES FEAR CAN OVERWHELM EVEN THE GREATEST OF SKELETONS!

BUT, DESPITE ALL OF THIS, I PROMISE THAT I WON'T LEAVE YOU. NO MATTER WHAT, I WILL BE THERE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT DEEP DOWN, YOU HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO BE A GOOD PERSON, MAYBE EVEN A GREAT PERSON SUCH AS MYSELF."

....

.......

....

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP GOING DOWN THIS PATH. WHILE YOU MAY HAVE DONE...TERRIBLE THINGS, I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU!"

You hug him around the knees, sobbing. He bends down so you can hug him properly, and he hugs you back.

....

....

When you wake up the next morning, there are remnants of dried tear tracks on your face, but there is a lightness in your chest that makes you feel DETERMINED.


	38. a fragile sort of hope

At first, the climb had been exciting. 

_Mom must trust me a lot now!_

 

It was nice being outside, especially after such a looooooonnng car trip

You could hear the rustle of bushes, and in the distance was the faint sound of a bubbling river. 

The best part was all the animals. 

You saw several squirrels, one rabbit, and what looked like a snake at first but when you you came closer you realized it wasn't a snake but a legless lizard.

(You knew it was a legless lizard because you and your mom had watched an episode of  _Animal Adventures_  where a zoologist explained the differences between snakes and legless lizards, one of them being that legless lizards have....um... _external!_...that was the word! They have external ears.)

You heard birdsong but didn't spot any birds, but you didn't mind because the songs were nice, and you appreciated their hard work. 

It made the climb much more cheerful. 

You'd tried whistling at first, but after a few attempts decided to hum instead.

 

You climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed, but the mountain was a lot bigger than you thought it would be. 

Your legs began to hurt and ache, and burn with every strep

Even with your new trusted stick, which you had named Franklin, it was still getting harder and harder to climb.

You begin to worry that you've misunderstood your mother's instructions. 

Maybe she hadn't been testing your climbing skills at all. 

_What if she was testing my waiting skills?_

You are very good at waiting, and your mom knows this, which is why you didn't think that was her idea at first.

But now it made a lot more sense, because, maybe she had wanted to help you get even better at being patient.

 

_Except...she had been acting strange, like she is just before her Grey Days, where she forgets everything and everyone._

_What if she forgot about me?_

_I should have tried harder._

 

 

 

 

 


	39. one fish, two fish; red fish, blue fish

it's been six months since the barrier has been shattered, and humans and monsters are slowly but surely learning how to co-exist together.honestly, i hadn't thought it would be possible.

sure, there had always been the hope that one day we would be able to reach the surface, but i'd always been a cynical skeleton.

it's the price i have to pay for being so hilarious. 

the fact that we made it, and somehow finding our own place in a vastly different society? 

welp. 

that's something no one could have imagined.

 

"SANS! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!"

"huh?" 

(my bro is really good at sneaking up on people, especially when it comes to skeletons who are taking a nap on the living room couch.)

"SANS! DON'T YOU REMEMBER? YOU AGREED TO VISIT THE GARDENING CLUB I STARTED WITH FRISK AND ASGORE!"

"seems like i forgot. sorry, paps, guess my memory needs improving. i'll need to find the  _root_ of my problem."

"SANS, I HAVE NO TIME FOR CLEVER WORDPLAY! THE CLUB WILL BE STARTING SOON, AND I WANT YOU TO MEET OUR NEW MEMBERS!"

 "you go on ahead, i'll meet you at asgore's place later."

"PROMISE?"

"i promise."

 

for a lazy guy like me, it's important to use as little energy as possible.

sometimes i laze around because, why not?

occasionally, though, i really am exhausted. 

worn down to the  _bone_.

heh. 

point is, i like to find shortcuts, which are a quick and easy ways to get from point a to point c without too much energy wasted.

 

the club is held at asgore's place, cause he has this little garden in the front with lots of room for new plants. the cottage itself is pretty nice, too, painted a cheerful yellow with a blue tiled roof.

all and all, i find the paint work very a _peel_ ing. 

"SANS, YOU'VE MADE IT JUST IN TIME!" 

one of the best traits about papyrus is that he's always excited when i or any of his friends show up. he even acts that way to complete strangers as well; he just...

wait.

there's humans here. 

two of them, to be precise.

(well, three if you include frisk.)

both of them are taller than frisk, but still shorter than papyrus. they look a bit older as well. it's kind of hard to tell with humans, but i think they look almost like adults, but not quite. 

one seems kind of startled, but she waves, a nervous looking expression on her face. other human with her, a guy, looks half asleep on his feet.

i can relate.

"You're Sans?" the girl questions. now that i look closer, i can see one of her arms is bandaged with some stiff looking white cloth which various marker scribbles on it.

"yeah. you are?"

she prods her friend with the opposite arm. "This is Gabriel. He doesn't do much. You can call me Scout."

the guy lazily waves, then grins. "Hey, want to  _see_ something cool?"

the girl groans. "Say no," she begs. 

"sure."

gabe's grin stretches even wider. "Do the thing!"

"Alright,"scout sighs. she turns away for a brief moment, and then she turns back, hair now obscuring one side of her face.

"Hey, catch!"

she tosses something small and round; i grab it with blue magic.

i bring it closer.

"is it a marble, or-"

it's not a marble. it's an eye, like an actual human eye, made of glass.

what.

"what."

"Yeah, that's my eye. I can't actually see anything while wearing it, but people kind of get wigged out if I didn't have anything at all."

"huh."

"WOWIE! YOU MUST BE AN INCREDIBLE WARRIOR!"

"Not really, but I like to pretend I am."

i hand the eye back to her, she turns and puts the eye back in her face.

asgore steps outside, smiling. "Howdy, Sans."

"heya."

 

meanwhile, frisk has already started digging in the dirt with a small shovel. i walk over to the kid.

"what'ya planting there, kiddo?"

they pull out a couple seed packets and hand them to me.

there are four in total: clover, orchid, rain lily, and evening primrose.

scout walks over and gently pats frisk on the head. 

"Hey, buddy. Thanks for helping me get started."

she turns to me. "I've never had much of a green thumb, but I thought I might as well give it a try."

her friend, asgore, and papyrus have started up a conversation about future club plans. gabe seems to contribute the least to the discussion.

"It's weird though," she says. "Unless..." she trails off.

"unless..."

"Nah, forget about it. You want to help out?"

"i might as well help out, this seems like a fun  _thyme_. in fact, _lettuce_ do our best."


	40. knit and purl

In the evenings, sometimes Toriel will sit in front of the fire with her knitting needles and yarn.

Right now she's knitting you a scarf.

 

She'd offered to knit you a new sweater, but you'd shook your head, despite the fact that yours is already starting to fray at the edges of the sleeves, and the colors are beginning to fade.

Toriel wasn't offended, even though you had refused her offer of kindness. 

"You remind me of someone who was very much the same way about their sweater, although they were much more vocal about not wanting to get a new one. I didn't truly understand then, but now I think I do. Some items are far too precious to be replaced easily." 

 


	41. rise up with your fists at the ready

_**Frisk?** _

_**...** _

_**Are you okay?** _

 

_**I'm sorry. I wasn't quick enough again. I got you hurt.** _

_**Please wake up.** _

 

_**Frisk...** _

 

**There is no response, but you think you can hear them, a faint presence, as though they are asleep in the back of your (their) mind.**

 

_**I can't do this without you Frisk. I can't take control...I won't take control if you don't let me. You won't have to do anything after that, I'll let you rest.** _

_**...I'm sorry Frisk, I know you wouldn't want me to do this, but I don't have any other choice. I have to get you out of here, and to do that, I'll need to get strong enough to get all six souls.** _

 

_**Maybe you won't even remember this.** _

_**I hope not. You're better than I ever was, you don't deserve this.** _

 

_**It'll be okay, Frisk.** _

_**I promise I won't let anyone ever hurt you again.** _


	42. how history might remember me

a week or so after paps took me to visit his garden club, i run into the two humans again, this time at the grocery store.

more specifically, i walk into their shopping cart and bounce off the cart onto the ground. 

"ouch."

kind of embarrassing, but as any true comedian knows, the best way to avoid awkward situations is by distracting everyone around you.

"looks like i've  _fallen_ for you guys after all."

one of them snorts, but the other human doesn't even crack a smile.

tough crowd. 

"you're scout, right?" i ask. i'm pretty good at remembering names, especially for monsters (and now i guess people as well) that are particularly noticeable.

taking out her eye and telling me to catch it? that's pretty memorable.

 

she's also the one who sort of laughed, which is another point in her favor.

she nods. "Yeah, that's me. This is Gabe, by the way, in case you didn't remember."

gabe half-waves at me. "Nice to see you again."

he sounds slightly bored, but his smile, although awkward, seems genuine enough. 

"so, what's with the bandages?" i ask, motioning to the stiff white cloth that covers her left arm.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I broke my arm while skateboarding. It's kind of an embarrassing story, though. I was just standing on the board when I tipped over. Like a cow or something."

gabe grins, but pats her on the back gently. "Dude, it was your first time on a skateboard. You can't be too hard on yourself."

"yeah, cut yourself a  _break_ , it could have been worse."

gabe groans into his hand. "Now I know what your brother was talking about."

"what, did he say i was a pretty _punny_ guy?"

gabe sighs, and scout snickers again. 

"C'mon, Gabe, don't be such a killjoy."

"I'm not a killjoy, I just appreciate a finer class of humor."

scout turns to me and stage-whispers to me, "That's coming from a guy who thinks knock knock jokes are funny."

"heh. don't  _knock_ 'em, I think they have their merits."

 

they end up showing me around the store, which is a much longer walk than i thought it would be. human stores are a lot bigger than monster stores, which makes sense since there's much more space on the surface.

"Hey, Gabe, before I forget, what's the situation again?" 

There's a pause. 

"Potato."

"Really? You sure it's not Watermelon?"

"ummm...are you guys reading out your grocery list?"

"Nah,"scout says. "Just an inside joke, sort of."

gabe nods. "Sort of like a coded message, but without the code."

"so, does it mean anything?"

"Depends on when you say it." scout responds.

i shrug.

"makes sense."


	43. and dances with the daffodils

Asgore's garden has finally bloomed, and the plants look like actual flowers now instead of just some scrubby weeds in the dirt.

You don't know anything about flowers, and you'd never really thought of them when you lived up....there.

Even though they're fully grown, the blossoms still need to be cared for, so Asriel volunteered himself and you (without your say-so) to the task of watering them every single day. You grumble about the chore at first,but part of you is thrilled that Asriel thinks you are the best person suited to help him.

(At the other place, no one seemed to care whether or not you happened to be there, but now there's people who notice you, and actually seem to like having you around.)

After a short while, you find there's a certain calm that settles upon the garden when you and Asriel are caring for the plants. He looks ridiculous in his over-sized reed hat, and you tell him this. "You don't need a hat, it's not like you're going to get a sunburn."

Your own hat is firmly _planted_ on your own head, but that's because it happens to look very stylish on you. 

 

Asgore has a very old book about plants and flowers. "It was written quite a while ago, so there may be some unfamiliar words or phrases. Do not be afraid to ask me or Toriel if you ever get confused."

You and Asriel read it in the garden, slowly flipping through the delicate pages, trying to to match up the plants in the garden with the ones in the book. 

"Asriel, look at this one! It has teeth!"

"Plants don't have teeth, Chara." he responds, and you take a moment to mourn the time when he believed almost anything you'd say.

You point to the illustration. "It's called a Venus Flytrap, and it eats flies and bugs and stuff."

"How big do you think it gets?" 

"Probably pretty big. It says here that it also eats frogs and birds."

"Do you think it could grow big enough to eat us?"

"No. Even if it did, it would spit you up, because you would taste nasty."

"I don't taste nasty! How would you know anyway!"

"Children, is everything all right?"

Both you and Asriel whirl around.

You carefully drop the piece of mud you had just scooped up.

"Mom, Chara says plants would think I taste bad! Chara's wrong, right?"

Toriel seems bemused by his question. You don't blame her. Asriel is nice and all, but he's also super weird sometimes. But he's also your brother, which means it's your job to beat up anyone else that calls him weird.

 

Dad's book doesn't just have plant names.

There's also a bunch of poetry (that Asriel doesn't quite understand why you find it so interesting, but is willing to sit with you and listen to dad read it out loud.)

Asriel usually falls asleep during this time, but you rarely do. 

Here, in this moment, Asgore sitting in his armchair reading to you both, the sweet smell of a pie baking in the oven, you finally understand what it's like to have a home. 


	44. girl, interrupted

_Once upon a time there were two girls, twins to be exact, who resembled the other so closely it seemed impossible to tell each other apart._

(She is the younger one, born tightly clutching her sister's foot with both hands.) 

_Although there were moments when they grew annoyed that fifty percent of the time someone was likely to call them by the wrong name, neither of them could truly imagine life without the other._

_...._

_Once upon a time, a young woman fell in love with someone who would one day leave her behind._

(All it took was a smile and some unfunny jokes for her to think, **_maybe this is someone I want to spend my entire life with._** )

....

_"Are you alright? Do you need me to call your parents?"_

This is what she remembers: it was a misty afternoon, and they were walking home from school. Her shoes kept getting untied no matter how many knots she used to tie them together. 

"You know, you don't have to keep tying them."

"But, what if I trip?"

"My shoes aren't tied, and I'm doing just fine."

.....

 

  _"Can you tell me your name?"_

....

They meet at a hot dog stand, of all places. She was smoking a cigarette when a voice said, "I don't mean to be rude, but you're just  _smoking hot."_

Something about the lateness of the night made the pickup line humorous, whereas during any other time it would have been slightly irritating.

She turns, and sees another woman, half her height, smile nervous and shy despite the fact that she had literally called her hot.

"I wouldn't say that's rude, although it is a bit presumptions to use a pun that terrible despite us never having met before." She grins back, making sure that the other woman knows she's joking.

"I'm Sam,"

"Nice to _meat_ you."

Sam laughs, a snorting sound that somehow manages to be both ugly and yet strangely adorable.

....

_She cannot speak. How could anyone comprehend this?_

_"I'm here to help. But I need you to trust me."_

_The voice is more clear now._

....

_Once upon a time there were two girls, twins to be exact, who resembled the other so closely it seemed impossible to tell each other apart._

Once upon a time there was a young girl who used to be part of a whole.

Here is the truth: two girls went missing on the way home from school.

Hours later, one of them stumbled out of the nearby woods. 

No one, not even the girl herself, knew the name of the twin that had survived.

....

_"...Julie. My name's...Julie."_

 


	45. summer showers

You find Sans outside, sitting among the tall grass.

You wriggle your toes in the cool earth, which is still damp from last night's rain.

The air smells sweet and clean.

In the distance, you can hear the soft melodic chirps of crickets.

"you know, i don't think i'll ever get used to this," Sans says, his voice soft.

You sit down next to him, the grass tickling your bare legs. 

Both of you sit in a silence that feels comfortable and safe.

"you probably should head inside, kiddo. apparently it's going to rain again, and you know how toriel worries."

"...stay."

"if you insist. but don't blame me when you get sick. hey, what can you catch but can't throw?"

"..."

"a cold."

You smile, even though you've heard that joke before. 

"c'mon frisk, don't  _rain_ on my parade."

This one makes you giggle.

You can feel a few droplets on your arms and face. Sans looks upwards at the sky.

"c'mon kid, let's at least get under some shelter."

(The two of you sit on the porch steps for the next few hours, watching the rain.)

 

_The rain is raining all around,_

_It falls on field and tree,_

_It rains on the umbrellas here,_

_And on the ships at sea._

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> poem by a man named Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894)


	46. a balanced meal

**candy**

_**noun** _

**1.) A sweet fruit made with syrup or sugar combined with chocolate, nuts, or fruit.**

_**synonyms:** _ **sweets, bonbon, confectionery**

You like candy a lot, so much so that you will eat anything edible as long as it's coated in sugar.

Whenever you went grocery shopping, you usually would buy a bag or two, because they were usually on sale, and even if they weren't it was still a great deal anyway. 

For example, you could buy a single orange, which would only last a day, or you could buy a bag of candy, which could last you a week, maybe even two weeks if you rationed out the supplies carefully.

You're not picky when it comes to candy, even eating ones that the other kids won't touch because according to them it _'tastes like plastic._ ' Which was good for you, because there was always someone willing to give their unwanted sweets to you for nothing in return. 

**health food**

**_noun_**

**1.) Natural food that is thought to have health-giving qualities**

      _ **synonyms:**  _ **natural food, organic food**

When Sans takes you to Grillby's, he orders you a hamburger with fries.

You notice that there is a leaf in between the patty and the burger. 

You poke the burger hesitantly with a finger. 

"hey kid, haven't you ever had a burger before?"

You think for a moment, then shrug. 

"there's no better place to have your first burger than here, kiddo. it's made with a secret formula, and it's one nobody has been able  to _grill_ him about."

Grillby, polishing a glass, seems to glare at Sans. You can't really tell, though, since he's made of fire. 

Carefully, you sign,  _What is green thing?_

"huh? it's lettuce. it probably looks different on the Surface. what, do you not like the taste? you can pick it off, i'm not going to force you to eat your vegetables."

_Vegetables? Why?_

"what do you mean by that? i thought humans had to eat that stuff to stay healthy, even more than us monsters. what did you eat up on the surface anyway?"

_Candy._

"nothing but candy?" His voice is still playful, but now he sounds a little bit confused. "while i may be not the best skeleton to talk about eating healthy, even i know that eating candy all day is a bad idea. didn't your parents ever tell you that?"

_No. I buy food. Not mom._

Suddenly, your plate is pushed aside by a hand covered in fire. The plate is replaced with another one, but it's full of green stuff instead. You look up at Grillby, confused.

His flames crackle softly.

"huh, he says this one's on the house. you must be something special kiddo, because i've never gotten a freebie out of grillbz. probably should eat it all, this kind of thing only happens once in a lifetime."

Grillby hands you a fork, and you eat all the green stuff. 

It tastes weird. 

When you're done, Grillby pats you on your head gently. 

You feel as though something important has happened, but you're not sure what it could be.


	47. we will grow together

You are in the backyard of the skeleton brother's house, helping Papyrus dig up the ground for his new garden. 

He has a large shovel, you have a trowel, which is a smaller version of a shovel. 

The soil smells nice and earthy. 

"EXCELLENT JOB, FRISK!" 

You smile at the praise, and keep digging. 

 

"ALRIGHT, I THINK THAT'S ENOUGH."

The both of you have dug about a couple inches. You know Papyrus could have easily dug way deeper, but apparently his gardening book said that wasn't a good idea. 

When you had first started, the sun had been low in the sky, but now it's noon, and you're sweating under the hot sun. Papyrus, seeing your discomfort, insists that you take a break. 

Both of you head inside, each making sure to carefully wipe your feet on the doormat. "SANS ALWAYS FORGETS TO DO THIS," Papyrus informs you with a long suffering expression. "HE TRACKS MUD ALL OVER THE HOUSE, FRISK. SOMETIMES I EVEN SEE HIS MUDDY FOOTPRINTS ON THE CEILING."

In the corner of the room, you spot a small cat bed. Lying in the bed is their pet rock, covered in sprinkles. You give the rock a pat on its head. Rustling through the fridge, Papyrus pulls out a pitcher. "I MADE SOME SPAGHETTI LEMONADE!"

 

The drink doesn't end up tasting that bad, although it is chunkier than the lemonade you remember. It's cold, and that's what matters the most. 

You give him a thumbs up of approval. 

Papyrus looks thrilled.


	48. chicken soup for the soul

After you eat the salad that Grillby had put in front of you, he holds up a finger, gesturing for you to wait. He heads back into the kitchen. 

You hear the clattering of pots and pans.

Grillby comes back, this time holding a thermos, which he gives to you.

"he says it's for the road." Sans explains. "said if you need anything you can come back."

You take a sip from the thermos. 

It's some kind of soup, but it's different from the soups you're used to, the kind that comes out of a can. The flavors are almost overwhelming, but there's also a mildness to it that evens out the spices. 

The warmth fills your stomach, spreading all the way to your soul, reminding you of the feeling you had while eating the pie Toriel had made for you.

You look to Sans, who gives you a thumbs up. "soup, right? grillby's second secret recipe. i've only had it once, but it was  _souper_ good."

When Grillby passed you the soup, he'd come around the counter, so you hold both arms out, silently requesting a hug. 

He seems surprised, so you wrap your arms around his torso. 

After a few seconds, he hugs you back.


	49. brothers and bothers

_Chara?_

_**Yeah?** _

_What's it like having a brother?_

**_Annoying._ **

_Really?_

**_Yes. No. Maybe. Not annoying, but..._ **

**_Do I have to talk about this?_ **

_...I'm sorry._

**_No no no no! It's not your fault! I'm just being stupid._ **

_You're not stupid._

**_...Yes I am._ **

**_He used to say stuff like that, you know...Asriel, I mean._ **

**_Said I was smart, and that I shouldn't put myself down. But he was dumb too, for thinking I was a good person._**

_...What was Asriel like?_

_**He hogged all the blankets, and slept in really weird positions that left barely any space, and sometimes kicked me in the face when I was trying to sleep. Plus he snored, like, super loud, and he would put the vegetables he didn't like on my plate when mom or dad weren't looking. They thought he loved vegetables. Jokes on him, because mom would just give him more.** _

_**...** _

_**When I first arrived, I hid under the bed for hours, and he waited with me. He said it was okay, that I could come out whenever I was ready, and even if I never wanted to leave, ever, he would protect me.** _

_**Which is funny, because Asriel was a total wimp. He couldn't bear to hurt anyone...but that's also what made him...Asriel, you know?** _

_**He looked at me and saw...I don't know what he could've seen in me...but he looked at everyone and saw their hidden parts. He said everyone at their core is kind, even those who seem mean, because they might actually just be scared and afraid to show it.** _

_**He said I was the kindest person in the entire Underground. Dumb, right?** _

_**Sometimes I could bribe him into doing my homework by promising him he could have the last slice of mom's pie.** _

_**He always ended up sharing it with me.** _

_Do you think..._

**_Yeah, he would've liked you. You would have been a better sibling then I was._ ** **_I pranked him all the time._ **

**_I told him that everyone on the surface walked around wearing nothing but dirty underwear, and I tricked him into taking a bite out of a cake made of mud that I had covered in chocolate frosting._ **

**_I scared him into thinking that the bathtub drain would suck him in if he was in there while the water drained out. I told him that if he looked into a mirror at midnight, his reflection would pull him into the mirror and take his place, leaving him trapped forever inside._ **

**_I don't think he looked in the mirror for about two days after that._ **

**_He threw a slipper at my head when I told him I had been lying. He missed by more than two and a half feet._ **

_That's not what I meant. You weren't a bad sibling._

**_...You sound like him sometimes. You and that skeleton._ **

_Papyrus?_

**_Yeah._ **

_I'm sorry._

**_Don't be._ **

....

**_Frisk?_ **

_Chara?_

**_Please don't remember this. You usually don't, but...it's better if you forget about me. The past is the past._ **

_You've protected me Chara, haven't you?_

**_..._ **

_It's going to be okay. I know what I have to do. I might get hurt, but it's going to be okay! I can handle it. I'll make it all right, and you won't have to hurt anyone anymore, and I won't hurt anyone either._

_Everything's going to be okay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Weird how this story changed overtime. What was originally going be a short oneshot has morphed into.... whatever this is.  
> (I feel like the description may be a bit off now, seeing as most of it isn't about nightmares and stuff, but rather...everything else. It was supposed to be something vaguely grim, but I got distracted.)
> 
> It's a lot of fun to write though. if there's anything you're interested in seeing, let me know.


	50. in a mirror, darkly

Snowflakes sink through your sweater. 

_Dust clings to your hands._

You wield a stick.

_You carry a knife._

 

 

_Monsters don't leave behind bodies like humans do._

_Does that mean it's easier to kill them?_

_There's nothing left but a neat pile of dust._

_You weren't trying to hurt anyone._

_You just want to go home._

_Toriel didn't want you, and your mother didn't want you either, and every single monster just wants you to die._

_You've never hurt anyone before until now._

_You can't-_

**It's okay, take a deep breath.**

**Count to ten.**

_You can't breathe through hiccuping sobs._

**Imagine opening up a menu, alright? Then I want you to think very hard okay? Think about taking a step backwards, like a rewind button. Don't worry, I'll be with you the whole time.**

 

 

You wake up in a pile of yellow flowers.

Somehow you must have fallen asleep after falling down.

You can't remember the dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was thinking, I started something with the original human characters, but I didn't want the story to be all about oc's. there's sort of a plot i had going with them, and I had the vague idea that it would only be in San's perspective. maybe i can start a new story?? with the garden club? idk


	51. you did not die in vain

"My sister disappeared when I was five," Gabriel tells him. "She was ten at the time, I think. My mom is still waiting for her to come back, but my dad...he hasn't been the same since. It was like I lost him along with my sister."

"...i'm sorry."

"It's okay. Not your fault. It just...when you guys came out of the mountain it brought back memories...I guess some things never leave you."

"uh...not to be insensitive, but what happened to her?"

"We went camping, and both of us were playing when I tripped and fell. I started crying, and mom scolded Ariel for not watching me more carefully. Ariel stormed off. We never saw her again. I thought she must have died on Mount Ebott, but maybe she's still alive out there somewhere."

"You know, sometimes hope is all we have left to go on."

"..."


	52. tickling your funny bone

You tug on San's arm. He looks at you, and as always, you still find it weird that an adult can be at eye-level with you when most kids your age tower over you by at least half a head.

"hey, kiddo," Sans says, ruffling your hair. "what's up in the world of frisk?"

Your throat is dry. "You...you.."

Sans doesn't seem bothered by your stammering. 

Normally, you would sign this out, but something in you want to say it out loud. To make it real. You force your force into a gruff imitation. 

"buddy, _"_ you whisper, "i would have killed you where you stand."

Sans' eyelights are tiny pinpricks in his sockets, his face still. 

"kid...you know i said i was joking, right? i would have never hurt you." His voice sounds slightly panicked.

You look at your feet, then shake your head up and down in agreement.

"you get it, right? it was a bad joke, i'll admit it. i shouldn't have said it, kiddo. i'm really sorry i said that to you." There's guilt now in his expression, and tentatively, he places a hand on your shoulder.

You don't flinch away.

"i'm so sorry kid. i didn't mean it."

You nod again, hold your arms out for a hug that he accepts gratefully. 

"c'mon, kiddo, i think we both deserve a hot chocolate break after this." You smile, and sign  _Extra marshmallows?_ with a pleading gaze.

Sans ruffles your hair. "sure, why not."

 

When you were very little, you were told that you should never lie because it was wrong to do so. But maybe it's okay here in this case, because...

Sans had lied first.


	53. pizza me, papyrus!

**HOW TO MAKE PIZZA**

BY PAPYRUS

HELLO READER(S)! THIS IS PAPYRUS, ONCE AGAIN WITH A RECIPE FOR A NEW MEAL THAT I HAVE CREATED MYSELF! 

RECENTLY, I HAVE LEARNED THAT SPAGHETTI IS A DISH THAT WAS FIRST MADE IN A COUNTRY CALLED 'ITALY'!

IF YOU ARE READING THIS AND YOU ARE FROM ITALY, I WAS ALSO INSPIRED BY ANOTHER FOOD ALSO CREATED IN ITALY, WHICH IS THE PIZZA! SO I HAVE DECIDED TO STEP AWAY FROM MAKING PASTA JUST FOR A BIT. MAYBE ONE DAY I SHALL BECOME A CHEF WHO CAN MAKE ANYTHING, BUT FOR NOW I AM MAKING PIZZA.

IT'S A HARDER RECIPE THAN THE OTHER ONE I MADE, BUT YOU CAN DO IT! 

:D :D <\---- TWO SMILEY FACES BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN YOU EVEN MORE!!!

**INGREDIENTS**

  * ONE PACKET OF **ACTIVE DRY YEAST**
  * TWO TEASPOONS OF **OLIVE OIL**
  * ONE TEASPOON OF **SALT**
  * ONE TEASPOON OF **SUGAR**
  * THREE TABLESPOONS OF **KETCHUP**
  * FIVE AND A HALF CUPS OF **FLOUR**
  * ONE AND A QUARTER CUPS OF  **COLD WATER**
  * ONE CUP OF WARM **WATER**
  * ONE TEASPOON OF **GLITTER**
  * **TOMATO SAUCE**
  * **GRATED CHEESE**
  * **CHOPPED BASIL**
  * **NOODLES**
  * ONE CUP OF **CHOCOLATE MILK**



**INSTRUCTIONS**

**STEP ONE:** FIRST YOU WILL NEED TO 'PROOF' THE YEAST. ACCORDING TO MY HUMAN FRIEND SCOUT, YEAST IS ACTUALLY ALIVE! BUT DO NOT WORRY, IT IS APPARENTLY LIKE A PLANT IN MANY WAYS I THINK!

SPRINKLE THE YEAST OVER THE WARM WATER. IF IT IS TOO HOT, THE YEAST WILL DIE! :(

AFTER A FEW SECONDS, MIX TOGETHER THE YEAST, CHOCOLATE MILK, AND WATER.

 **STEP TWO:** ADD THE FLOUR, SUGAR, SALT, OLIVE OIL AND KETCHUP TO THE MIXTURE. NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE DOUGH, YOU MUST ROLL IT AROUND WITH YOUR HANDS ON A FLAT SURFACE. I RECOMMEND THAT FOR ANY SKELETON WEARING GLOVES THEY SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE THEM OFF BECAUSE DOUGH STICKS REALLY WELL TO IT. FLATTEN THE DOUGH INTO A FLAT CIRCULAR SHAPE. 

 **STEP THREE:** NOW IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE SAUCE. HIT THE TOMATOES WITH ALL YOUR MIGHT UNTIL THEY ARE LIKE SPAGHETTI SAUCE! THEN, USING A SPOON, SPREAD IT OVER THE PIZZA. SPRINKLE THE CHEESE, BASIL, AND GLITTER ALL OVER THE TOP.

 **STEP FOUR:** COOK THE PIZZA USING THE HIGHEST SETTING. ONCE IT IS DONE, TAKE IT OUT WITH GLOVES ON OR BY USING MAGIC BECAUSE IF YOU ARE NOT A SKELETON IT WILL BURN YOUR HANDS AND IT EVEN HURT A LITTLE BIT FOR ME SO IT MUST HURT EVEN MORE IF YOU HAVE FLESHY OR FURRY HANDS.

 **STEP FIVE:** ENJOY WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slowly but surely, Papyrus is getting better at cooking.


	54. these are a few of my favorite things

Stuff Chara likes

                                                                                                by Asriel

1.) Chocolate. Any kind of chocolate is good. One time we ate a whole box of chocolate and I threw up but Chara didn't. Chara eats pretty much everything, even stuff that falls on the ground.

Chara can be kind of gross. It's so cool.

One time she ate an ENTIRE WORM and at first I was upset because they killed a worm but then Chara told me the worm was already dead when they found it and I felt better.

Chara calls me a wuss sometimes, but that's okay because I know they doesn't mean it. 

  
2.) Chara likes telling really scary stories, and sometimes I have nightmares but Chara always lets me sleep in their bed when I have a nightmare even though they always complains that I snore too loudly.

I don't snore!

>:(

  
3.)Puzzles. Chara's way better than I am at these, and I feel bad because I should be good at this. Sometimes I secretly get mad inside because Chara's so good at everything, and then I feel even worse because I shouldn't feel that way.

 

4.)Hugs. Chara likes being hugged a lot, but you have to approach them slowly so they know's when it's coming. Surprise hugs are not good because Chara gets scared and will accidentally hit whoever hugged them. Chara doesn't mean to hit people, it's just they're scared.

 

5.) Pranks. Chara will prank everyone except adults. Chara's pranks can be funny but sometimes they can be mean, like when they hid under my bed and grabbed my ankle or when they poured a bucket of slime over a kid from class and they cried a lot and Chara had to apologize.

 

6.) Chara likes reading poems, and I think they writes poems in the notebook they won't let me see. Chara also likes listening to dad read poems. 

Sometimes dad will read this poem at bedtime.

I will not play at tug o' war.  
I'd rather play at hug o' war,  
Where everyone hugs  
Instead of tugs,  
Where everyone giggles  
And rolls on the rug,  
Where everyone kisses,  
And everyone grins,  
And everyone cuddles,  
And everyone wins.

This took a while to write out but I think I did a good job. Chara likes this one too, even though they say it's for babies. Chara doesn't mean it because they sometimes will smile while listening to it and it's a real smile that's Chara's not aware of I think.

 

7.) Bedtime stories. Mom and dad are both really good at reading stories, but dad doesn't do the voices and mom does. 

 

8.) Chara also likes snail pie a little bit but not that much.

 

Chara loves mom, me, and dad, even though they doesn't say it, and I know because Chara is always there for me and tells me they will always protect me.

I want to be strong enough to keep them safe as well. That's my dream, to always protect the people who are ~~precs~~ precious to me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> edit: realized i sort of assumed what gender chara identified as.  
> whoops.  
> i'll need to switch it at some point in the future, but for now, feel free to use whatever gender pronouns you think works best.  
> 


	55. extend our reach to the stars above

A hand shakes your shoulder.

You wake up.

You've fallen asleep on the couch again.

"hey kiddo, you wanna see something interesting?"

You sleepily nod. 

Sans helps you up. "c'mon out back."

He takes you by the hand and you walk outside. The grass is damp against your bare feet, but the rain has long stopped.

You see San's telescope. "here, look into it. swear it's not a prank this time."

You press your eye against the lens. For a moment, you don't see anything, then a blurred shape comes into focus. 

"apparently that's a planet called saturn."

You blink, but the image is still there, floating among the darkness like a cosmic bubble. You feel as though if you walked for a while, you would be able to touch it. 

What would it feel like?

"see it?" Sans asks. "it's the one with rings." His voice is filled with awe. 

If you didn't know any better, you'd think it wasn't real, because it looks exactly like the ones in your book about outer space.

 

The planet is moving out of your view. You take a step back and see Sans is staring up at the night sky.

"the universe is a pretty big place, huh?"

You nod, even though Sans' gaze is still fixated on the stars above.

You feel small under the weight of the sky, but also as though you are connected to everything in the universe. 

It's a strange feeling.

Sans looks at you and smiles. "kind of puts things in perspective, doesn't it? just remember you've got us down here with you."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://www.insidescience.org/news/squinting-saturn-through-17th-century-technology


	56. a house divided

She does not leave immediately when her husband had declared war on all humans who fell down into the Underground. She...was grieving at the time as well, and part of her...

She hadn't considered the fact that he meant it.

That Asgore, her sweet, loving husband, could ever murder a young child. 

 

_"Asgore! How could you!"_

 

The second human to fall after Chara had been slightly older, though, not by much. When they brought her to New Home, she informed Toriel, in a very serious tone, that she was ten and a half years old, thank you very much, and was not a baby.

Still a child, with wide eyes and a gap-tooth smile, and a head full of tangled, messy hair. 

"I can spit the furthest," she'd boasted. "Wanna see?"

Indeed, the young human could spit pretty far.

 

_"This is my burden alone, but I cannot stop now. Please, Toriel, you need to understand. I don't want to hurt anyone..."_

_"You liar!"_

 

 

Back then, she had foolishly believed that once Asgore set his eyes upon the young girl, barely more than a babe, he would come to his senses once more. 

...

Of course he didn't.

It was then she knew that her husband had been lost to her forever.


	57. trust is not just a five letter word

Sans is napping on the couch, flopped onto his stomach with the side of his face smooshed into one of the pillows. If he had been human there would have probably been a trail of drool coming out of his mouth. 

You consider him for a moment. He appears to be deeply asleep. You creep over to him, glad that the floor is carpeted. Carefully, you wiggle your way onto the couch until you are curled up on his back. 

It's surprisingly comfy, despite the fact that there's only bones under his coat. Maybe this has something to do with magic, you reason sleepily.

You don't remember falling asleep, but you wake up to San's familiar low chuckling. "looks like i'm  _napped_ by you...get it?"

You burrow closer into San's coat. It smells like ketchup and comfort.

"guess not. hey, it's no skin off my _back_ , considering I don't have any skin at all."

Your eyelids begin to fell heavy, and they droop shut.

Maybe just a little longer...

 

Sans feels the kid settle down, their breath evening out. 

 _cute kid_ , he thinks. 

On the floor is a bottle of ketchup, just out of his reach. He sighs. 

_looks like i'm going to be here for a while. welp, at least i have an excuse not to get up._


	58. there's a man in the woods

<ERROR>

   The file you are looking for does not exist anywhere.

 *Try again?   *Run back-up hard drive?  *Close

 (You select the option *Try again?)

LOADING...

<ERROR>

The file you are looking for does not exist anymore.

*Try again?  *Run back-up hard drive?  *Close

(Once again, you select *Try again?)

LOADING

<ERROR>

The file you are looking for does not exist currently.

*What file?  *Run back-up hard drive?  *Close

 

(You click *What file?, but nothing happens. You then click *Close, but receive the same result.)

(You select *Run back-up hard drive?) 

LOADING

LOADING

....

..........................

.............................................................

....................................................................................

FILE FOUND

OPENING...

OPERATION SUCCESSFUL


	59. hearth and home

You stumble into Snowdin on frost-numbed feet, arms wrapped around yourself in an attempt to get warmer. It doesn't help much. 

Your nose is all stuffed up from the cold; earlier your nose had been running but then it stopped and now whenever you try and wipe your nose it hurts. 

You stumble and wobble and when you see what looks like a bar you immediately head inside, even though your Nana had always said that bars were no place for children. "It'll get you addicted young," she said, puffing on her usual cigar. "That's how they got me when I was your age."

 

(Even then, you were pretty sure she'd been exaggerating.)

 

But you are starting to lose feeling in your toes and fingers, and all you care about is getting out of the snow. Pulling open the heavy door, you head inside.

It's warm, and you immediately see that the snow gathered on your clothes is starting to melt. 

You hesitate on the doormat.

You don't want to drip all over the floor. That would be rude, to make a mess. 

Then you notice something. The bar is completely empty. 

Feeling a bit braver, you take off your socks and shoes and stack them neatly by the front door. On careful feet, you make your way around the bar, just in case someone's waiting to spring out at you.

You check behind the bar counter as well, just to be safe. There's a door behind the bar, but through the door window you can see that the room is dark behind it.

Eventually, you pull yourself up onto one of the stools at the counter.

You try spinning in it, but it only moves a few inches both ways. 

You pillow your head on your arms resting on the counter. You're not going to sleep, you tell yourself. 

You're just taking a break with your eyes closed. 

* * *

 

_You're sitting on the couch watching daytime television, eating a bowl of your second favorite cereal: Explosion Choco Supreme Sundae Coated in Mounds of Pure Sugar. You'd forgotten to buy regular milk, but you still had a couple of small cartons of chocolate milk, which worked as a substitute._

_On the show, a woman named Cindithial Josepehina Worlsworth the Four and a Half is stuck in a loveless marriage with her husband, who apparently is the twin brother of her lover, but the lover got amnesia and thought his ex-wife, who had an affair with the butler,was his current wife and if he find out the truth he'll die. Some of the words don't make so much sense, so you make some notes so you can ask your mom what they mean when she gets back from work in two days._

_The word you most want to know the meaning of is 'affair', which everyone on the show seems to have. Maybe it's an illness, because people react in shock when they find out. You don't blame them for not wanting to catch a cold._

* * *

 

 Despite your attempts at staying awake, you must have failed, because you wake up to the sound of a door opening. You're not even fully awake yet, but instinct drives you to scramble underneath the counter. 

You hold your breath. 

You hear someone's shoes go  _click click click_

Then the shoes are in front of you. They've stopped moving. 

You wait.

Nothing happens. 

Reluctantly, you peer out from underneath the counter, and gasp. 

Towering over you is a monster made entirely of fire, wearing a suit and a pair of dark glasses. 

The fire monster holds a hand out to you, clearly offering some help up. 

You consider the hand carefully. You know it's probably magic fire, but that doesn't mean it won't hurt.

Toriel's fire attacks have proven this...

Hesitantly, you reach out, and poke the hand with your pinkie finger. When it doesn't start burning you take the hand offered. The warmth spreads through your entire body.

The fire monsters helps you up off the ground. With their free hand, they adjust their glasses slightly. 

You peer up at them, trying to look for facial features among the flames that make up his face, but can't find anything. The only reason you're sure this is their head area is because of the location as well as the glasses.

He leads you to a booth, and you curl up on the cushions, still watching them with a hesitant eye. The fire monster sits across from you, handing you a woolen blanket.

You wrap it around yourself like a cocoon.

 The blanket has the familiar smoky scent that reminds you of Nana's cigars, and its softness envelops you into a deep sleep.


	60. where my resolve began

**selfless**

_adjective_

1.) concerned more with the needs and wishes of others than with one's own, unselfish.

_"an act of selfless devotion."_

 

Your reasons for wanting to protect Frisk are not entirely selfless. You have your own reasons for that, some of them less honorable than others.

For one thing, it's nice being alive, even if you're more like a passenger along for the ride.

There are many benefits of being a passenger, because you don't need to do any of the work. Another benefit is that you can be a backseat driver, where you get to explain to Frisk about various stuff in the Underground and what they probably should do next, all while sitting (metaphorically) in the back.

Sometimes they listen, other times they grumble in the back of their mind that _I'm okay, Chara, don't worry about it_.

Most of the time, you just float around, tethered to them like you're a balloon and they're holding the string, pulling you along. When it gets tiring, you retreat into the corner of their subconscious mind, where you can still talk to them without overwhelming their thoughts. 

The first time Frisk died, you were there in their mind when it happened.

**_"Frisk? Frisk! You have to get up! You can still make it!"_ **

But their SOUL shattered in your hands, and you were all alone in the darkness, cradling the remaining shards against your intangible chest.  


	61. red fish, blue fish; one fish, two fish

it's been six months since the barrier has been shattered, and humans and monsters are slowly but surely learning how to co-exist together.honestly, i hadn't thought it would be possible.

sure, there had always been the hope that one day we would be able to reach the surface, but i'd always been a cynical skeleton.

it's the price i have to pay for being so hilarious. 

the fact that we made it, and somehow finding our own place in a vastly different society? 

welp. 

that's something no one could have imagined.

 

"SANS! WE ARE GOING TO BE LATE!"

"huh?" 

(my bro is really good at sneaking up on people, especially when it comes to skeletons who are taking a nap on the living room couch.)

"SANS! DON'T YOU REMEMBER? YOU AGREED TO VISIT THE GARDENING CLUB I STARTED WITH FRISK AND ASGORE!"

"seems like i forgot. sorry, paps, guess my memory needs improving."

"SANS, I HAVE NO TIME FOR CLEVER WORDPLAY! THE CLUB WILL BE STARTING SOON, AND I WANT YOU TO MEET OUR NEW MEMBERS!"

"alright. why don't we  _leaf_ right now?"

"SAAAAANNNNSSS!"

 

the club is held at asgore's place, cause he has this little garden in the front with lots of room for new plants. the cottage itself is pretty nice, too, painted a cheerful yellow with a blue tiled roof.

all and all, i find the paint work very a _peel_ ing. 

When we get there, asgore isn't there, but frisk is...as well as three other humans. 

huh.

all three of them are taller than frisk, although one is about half a head shorter than the others. they look a bit older. it's hard to tell with humans, but i think they almost look like adults, but not quite.

one seems kind of startled, but she nervously waves at us. one of the other humans, a guy, is reading a book.

the other human, the shorter one, is slightly scuffing the grass with their sneaker. 

"You're Sans?" the girl questions, and i nod. now that i look closer, i can see her left arm is bandaged tightly with some kind of stiff white bandages.

"yep."

"I'm Scout." poking the guy on the shoulder, who doesn't react, she grins, saying "This is my cousin, Gabe. He doesn't do much."

Gabe lazily waves at me and papyrus. 

papyrus turns to me, and excitedly says, "THESE ARE THE NEW CLUB MEMBERS I WAS TALKING ABOUT! APPARENTLY ASGORE MET THEM AT A PLACE THAT SELLS PLANTS!"

scout and gabe both nod. the third human gives us all a slight thumbs up. 

suddenly, gabe grins. "Hey, you wanna  _see_ something cool?"

the girl groans. "Say no," she begs. 

"sure."

gabe's grin stretches even wider. "Do the thing!"

"Alright,"scout sighs. she turns away for a brief moment, and then she turns back, hair now obscuring one side of her face.

"Hey, catch!"

she tosses something small and round; i grab it with blue magic.

i bring it closer.

"is it a marble, or-"

it's not a marble. it's an eye, like an actual human eye, made of glass.

what.

"what."

"Yeah, that's my eye. I can't actually see anything while wearing it, but people kind of get wigged out if I didn't have anything at all."

"huh."

"WOWIE! YOU MUST BE AN INCREDIBLE WARRIOR!"

"Not really, but I like to pretend I am."

i hand the eye back to her, she turns and puts the eye back in her face.

asgore steps outside, smiling. "Howdy, Sans."

"heya."

frisk, while everyone was talking, had started to dig in the dirt with their small shovel. i walk over to the kid. 

"what'ya planting there, kiddo?"

they pull out a couple seed packets and hand them to me.

there are four in total: clover, orchid, rain lily, and evening primrose.

scout walks over and gently pats frisk on the head. 

"Hey, buddy. Thanks for helping me get started."

she turns to me. "I've never had much of a green thumb, but I thought I might as well give it a try."

her friend, asgore, and papyrus have started up a conversation about future club plans. gabe seems to contribute the least to the discussion. meanwhile, the third person is heading inside.

"It's weird though," she says. "Unless..." she trails off.

"unless..."

"Nah, forget about it. You want to help out?"

"i might as well help out, this seems like it might be fun  _thyme_."

i grin, giving both of them the double finger gun.

frisk giggles, and scout snorts into their free hand.

nailed it.


	62. wanted: dead or alive

If Burberry Street was a town, then Casey Woods would have been its sheriff. 

 _"Hello, ma'am lady! I'm Casey, but you can call me Chief!"_  

"Put yer hands where I can see 'em!" Casey drawls, pointing a water pistol at the Bald Bandit. Sighing, the Bald Bandit resignedly puts his hands above his head. 

"Awww...c'mon,it's not fair Casey!" James, aka the Bald Bandit, whines. "You know Joey took my water gun this morning!"

"Well, I suppose I can let you off with a warning, only you gotta spend a day in the pokey for your crimes. Yer now my prisoner, " tipping her hat, she finishes off with, "and I ain't Casey, I'm the CHIEF, 'member?"

"Yeah, I 'member..." James sighs.

"Good, cause now yer going to jail." Grabbing James' arm, she tugs him towards the backyard of her house, where a large cardboard box sits, with a carefully marked sign in crayon reading 'Jael.'

"Get in there an' think about what you've done!" Casey commands, and the smaller boy sighs, but clambers into the box. "And don't get into any fights with yer cellmate!"

The Bald Bandit turns, and sees that just as the Chief had said, he wasn't alone. Trapped with him was his nemesis, Blind Pete. While many saw Blind Pete as a harmless stuffed rabbit with no eyes, the Bald Bandit knows better.

"Don't try anything with me," he warns them, and the other prisoner complies. 

After about five minutes of waiting in jail, Casey relents. 

"Okay, you can come out now!" 

Crawling out of the box, leaving his nemesis to rot in jail, James is met with a small spray of water to the face. "Casey!"

"Found yer water gun," she says, tossing it to him. "Sticky Fingers ain't too good at hidin' stuff, but don't tell him that."

_"See this badge? It means I'm a sheriff, so I've got to uphold the law and duty of everyone and everything, and I ain't scared of nothing or nobody!"_

The two of them are sitting at the kitchen counter, crayons spread everywhere, making WANTED posters. "We gotta get 'em all over town," Casey explains.

"How much ransom money should we put for Blind Pete?" James asks, furiously scribbling a rendition of the criminal.

"Hmmm..."Tapping her fingers against her chin, Casey finally decides on, "I think ten gazillion ought to be enough. Maybe even ten thousand gazillion gold coins, and twenty five rubies. Put that one in." 

  _"Me an' James got lost on the mountain. It was my fault, I shouldn't have double-dog-dared him to go there, cause he would have never double dog dared me back. He's probably still by the hole where I fell, do you think you can you throw me back up? I tried shouting but I don't think he heard me."_

Casey Woods is a fighter, a brawler, with constantly scabbed over knees and well earned calluses on her palms. She's a tiny thing, with stick-thin arms and legs, her hair a mass of tangled brown curls, which she usually hides under her beloved hat. 

"Casey, you can't solve every problem by fighting," her mother sighs, placing a yellow band-aid on her knee. Casey grins an uneven smile (her right front tooth has just fallen out first, leaving her with just the single left one), and chimes back, "What about Jackie? She fights bad guys all the time?"

"Your sister is a police officer. You are not. Please, I know you want to protect your friends, but you keep getting hurt and into trouble at school."

  _"Are you the king? You look like the lady in the Ruins. Are you related? She was real nice."_

_" No...we're not related."_

_"Sorry, mister! I don't mean to be rude, my mama says sometimes I can talk without thinking sometimes,"_

_"..."_

_"Mister? I...you need my soul, don't ya? I'm real sorry, but you can't have it. James needs me, cause he's probably still stuck on the mountain and no one knows we went there so I gotta save him so we can go home."_

 

**Ebott City News**

Notable defense attorney James T. Whitaker dies at the age of 96, most likely from natural causes. A long-time activist, Whitaker was known to work for free when his clients could not afford to pay him. Also known for his charity work, Whitaker spent most of his life advocating for old cold cases to be reopened when they involved purely on circumstantial evidence.

His efforts helped exonerate fifteen criminals who had been falsely sentenced to life terms in prison. Mark Ruben, age fifty-seven, had been falsely arrested and charged with murder, and spent twenty five years of his one hundred year sentence.

Thanks to Whitaker and his team, the case was reopened, and new advanced DNA technology proved that Ruben was innocent. "He gave me my life back," said Mark Ruben in an interview done five years prior. "He gave me back what had been taken from me, and even though nothing can really make up for all the years lost, I'm beyond grateful for the time I still have."

Throughout his life, Whitaker attributed his strong sense of justice in part from a childhood friend who taught him to never back down from a fight. 

He leaves behind his wife of twenty years, Sadie (Risen) Whitaker, age 97. 

A funeral service will be held July 2nd at Ebott Memorial.


	63. standard deviation

**exist**

**_verb_**

**1.) To have objective reality or being.**

_"There is no living, or deceased, being who could have created such a device."_

 

 

_**if a tree falls in the middle of the woods, does it make a sound if the tree suddenly stopped existing?** _

...

_I don't get it._

 

 

 

 


	64. human beans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> human characters first appeared in the chapter 39, but you don't really need to read it unless you want to.  
> there are also spoilers, i guess, for chapter 51.

the members of papyrus' garden club have started hanging out with each other outside of the clubs' weekly meetings. it's great that paps has new friends, you know?

today it's just the two humans, scout and gabriel, who are at our house. 

they'd arrived an hour earlier, gently knocking on the door. when i answered, scout looked slightly apprehensive, but gabe had no visible reaction on his face. 

(sometimes he kind of creeps me out, but only a little.)

"paps!" i'd called back, "the humans are here!", and he came rushing out of the kitchen, grinning madly.

"HELLO, HUMAN SCOUT AND HUMAN GABRIEL!"

scout waved with her free hand, as the other arm was still in a cast. gabe, who seemed more awake, gave papyrus a fist bump, which had thrilled him even more.

 

now they're in the kitchen, each showing off their favorite recipes. "I can bake two things," scout admits,"chocolate chip cookies, and chocolate chip pancakes. Those are the only ones I've memorized."

"I'm not really good at cooking," gabe admits. "My sister liked cooking, but...well, my family mostly eats take outs now."

"HUMAN! GREASY FOODS ARE NOT HEALTHY FOR YOU! ONLY BY EATING WELL CRAFTED MEALS WILL YOU GROW UP TO BE BIG AND STRONG!"

"Actually, I might as well sit this one out. My doctor told me not to put anymore stress on my arm or shoulders." heading out of the kitchen, she asks me, "Do you mind if I sit here?", while gesturing towards an empty armchair.

"nah, go ahead.  _chairing_ in caring, after all."

she plops down on the seat, running a hand through her short hair. i think toriel told me it was a 'pixie cut.' 

in the kitchen, papyrus is telling gabe about the new recipes he's created. gabe doesn't seem to be talking as much, but he sounds interested.

i turn to scout. "So, uh...what's up?"

"Not much. The doctor says I might be able to get my cast off in a week or so, but even then it will take a little longer to fully heal. You know, when I first told Papyrus that I'd broken my arm, he was so worried, and...I didn't mean to make him upset."

"nah, it's okay. it's just kind of weird knowing that humans have their own skeleton inside of them. our bones don't really break, you see."

"Huh. Is it because you're made of magic?" she asks, fiddling with the bottom of her shirt. i shrug. 

"maybe. i dunno." i answer, because the question is hard enough to explain, and i'm lazy.

her face pinkens.

"Sorry, I don't mean to be rude," she apologizes, "and if I'm too forward, please let me know." 

my grin grows wider. "give yourself a _break,_ i'll let you know if your questions get too personal."

the pun makes her snort. 

not a full laugh, but it'll do. 

 

The kitchen is bright and cheerful, the sun pours through an open window tinting everything with a hint of gold. 

"HERE! STIR THIS!" Papyrus hands him a wooden spoon and a bowl filled with spaghetti sauce. Gabe, putting the bowl on a counter, begins stirring slowly. "NOW WE NEED A CUP OF FLOUR." Rummaging through the cupboard, he emerges with a small bag. 

Papyrus measures out a cup and dumps it in. "MY RECIPE USUALLY CALLS FOR BLENDING, BUT UNFORTUNATELY OURS IS MISSING IN ACTION, SO WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE DO."

Gabe mechanically stirs the two ingredients together. "This good?" He asks, gesturing the the bowl with his spoon.

"EXCELLENT! WHILE I FLATTEN THE DOUGH, CAN YOU ADD A CUP OF MILK AND A HANDFUL OF CHEESE?" Papyrus shouts, pulling out the dough he had carefully prepared earlier from the fridge. 

Taking of his gloves, Papyrus puts on a second, more used pair that he now uses when cooking. With all of his might, he smashes the dough until it is flat. Just as per his written instructions, he uses all his might and effort.

The pot of water is bubbling madly on top of the stove.

 

a crash comes from the kitchen. "Is everything okay?" Scout calls out.

"YES! WHAT YOU ARE HEARING IS THE SOUND OF PROGRESS!"

some more crashing sounds. scout, her voice quieter, says, "You know, Gabe never really liked cooking. He's more of a fast food guy, so it's kind of a surprise to see him in the kitchen. To be honest, that's one of the reasons why I let him cook with Papyrus alone, because I thought it would help Gabe to have...well, a positive experience, I guess, with cooking."

"huh. seems like he isn't too  _fired_ up in there." i lazily counter, keeping my tone playful. don't want to offend the human after all.

scout's smile turns wistful. "My cousin is hard to read sometimes. Also, he's going through a phase of trying not to care about anything. He'll deny it, of course."

 

"OKAY, MY CULINARY STUDENT! NOW THAT I HAVE FLATTENED THE DOUGH, I SHALL PLACE IT OVER THIS PIE TIN. THEN YOU CAN POUR HALF OF THE SAUCE IN. DON'T WORRY, IT'S ALRIGHT TO SPILL SOME, BECAUSE I CLEAN THE KITCHEN SEVERAL TIMES A DAY."

Even though Papyrus said it was okay to spill, Gabriel carries the bowl carefully over to the pin tin as though he is holding a ornament made of spun glass. With great precision, he tips the contents onto the dough.

"WOWIE! YOU'RE ALREADY BECOMING A MASTER CHEF RIGHT AS I SPEAK!" Turning to the boiling water, which is now starting to steam out black smoke, he says, "NOW WE CAN ADD THE NOODLES! USUALLY, I DO THIS IN THE OPPOSITE ORDER, BUT...IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO TRY SOMETHING NEW!"

Papyrus takes a handful of noodles and drops it in. Then, going to the fridge he pulls out a water bottle filled with some kind of liquid. "THIS IS A COMBINATION OF SPRINKLES, MILK, AND FROSTING!" He explains, pouring it into the mix.

"Sounds good. Do I put the pie in the oven?"

Glancing at the half-full pie tin, Papyrus nods, and Gabe cautiously opens the oven and puts the pie tin on the top rack, before closing the oven gently.

"I've never made spaghetti or pie before," he admits, and Papyrus smiles at him.

"DON'T WORRY, HUMAN GABE! I WILL BE WITH YOU ALL THE WAY!"

Gabe grins. "I bet this will be the BEST spaghetti pie in the world," he proclaims, putting a hand on his hip and raising the other to the sky.

 

an hour later, scout and i get called into the kitchen. With his hands behind us back, Papyrus proclaims, "BROTHER! HUMAN SCOUT! WE HAVE MADE THE MOST PERFECT SPAGHETTI PIE EVER!"

papyrus presents the spaghetti pie, and, honestly, i'm impressed. "woah, i've never seen it turn purple before."

"I USED PURPLE FROSTING INSTEAD, AND I THINK IT WORKED REALLY WELL WITH THE SAUCE."

gabe nods. "We ran out of green frosting to use as a side sauce," he explains.

"Wait, I though you said it was a pie?" Scout says, staring at what looks to be strangely colored and burnt smelling spaghetti. 

"IT IS! THE PIE IS MIXED WITH THE SPAGHETTI TO MAKE A SAUCE, THEN I POUR IT OVER SOME NOODLES!" 

 

out of all of us, scout ends up eating the most of the spaghetti pie, accepting bowl after of bowl of steaming noodles, while gabe has this weird half grin on his face, like he knows a secret. when papyrus gives gabe some, he struggles to finish it, and, feeling bad for the kid, i teleport it away while paps isn't looking.

he catches my eye socket across the table, and i wink at him. 

all in all, not a bad way to spend a thursday afternoon.


	65. summer holidays

The garden club meeting is about to end for today. 

 

In the backyard, Papyrus and Asgore are tilling the soil for a new vegetable garden. 

You and Scout are taking care of the potted plants inside the house. 

You carefully pour some water into the soil of a droopy plant. 

It seems to appreciate the drink.

Scout doesn't mind that you don't talk much, and will pause or slow down so that you can carefully sign out responses. 

"Plants have interesting names, lemme tell you," Scout says. "You got the regular ones like tulips and basil and stuff, but then you have their official names in Latin. You ever have to take Latin?"

You shake your head. Scout's smile is fond.

"Be glad you haven't. I mean, I get that's important and all, but it has like five different tenses. You got your past, present, and future, but you also have stuff like pluperfect and future indicative active. Actually, that reminds me, want you hear a joke?"

(When Scout gets really into a subject, the more she starts gesturing with her hands. Sometimes you'll see something that looks like a letter from an unfamiliar sign language.) 

You nod furiously.

"Alright. The past, present, and future walk into a bar. It was  _tense._ " She mimics a drum roll with her hands.

You giggle. 

The conversation moves on as the two of you walk around the house. When you sign, you do it slowly so that she can decipher it.   
 _I have a turtle_ you sign.

"A turtle? My sister has-well, she used to have a turtle called Bunny. Mom said Bunny ran away, but...that was just to make Aggie feel better. Turns out that backfired, because she then thought that Bunny hated her. Actually, it was Papyrus who really helped out."

_How?_

"Well, he'd came over a day later to tell my the meeting was being postponed from an hour because Sans got his head stuck in the staircase railing somehow again. He heard my sister crying, and quietly I told him about Bunny. He told me he had an idea of how to cheer her up again.

Long story, short, I brought Aggie out (she was a bit nervous at first to see him but that went away quickly) and Papyrus said to her

'SMALL HUMAN! I KNOW YOU ARE UPSET THAT YOUR FRIEND IS NOT HERE! WELL, FEAR NOT, FOR THEY DID NOT RUN AWAY! YOU KNOW HOW WHEN YOU ARE TIRED YOU NEED TO TAKE A REST?'

("I was a bit nervous when he said that because I thought he was going to tell her the truth")

'WELL, THE SAME GOES FOR TURTLES! DO NOT WORRY, SMALL HUMAN, FOR I KNOW WHERE YOUR TURTLE FRIEND IS! HE'S ON VACATION!'

"Anyway, that really helped Aggie. I really owe Papyrus for that."

Somehow, something about this story bothers you, but you shake the thought away quickly.


	66. those I fight I do not hate

"King Asgore!"

A Royal Guard burst in through the door, "I'm sorry to bother you, but..." The monster shuffles their feet nervously. Asgore looks up from his cup of tea, and smiles warmly. 

"Are you quite alright?"

The guard seems to get their bearings. "We..we've brought the human here. They just...they just turned themselves in. Do you..do you want me to bring them here?"

"...yes, bring them here. Ask them...if they would mind sharing a cup of tea."

The guard nods. "Yes sir!" they say, their arm raised in a sharp salute. 

When the guard leaves, Asgore considers boiling a new pot of tea, but decides against it. 

His reflection looks wobbly and warped in the mug's reflection.

He takes a sip, and tastes nothing but ashes.

 

This is what the Royal Guard knows:

1.) The human had first been spotted about six months ago, though it's likely they've been in the Underground longer than that.

2.) Until several days ago, they'd never attacked anyone.

 

_"You're the human everyone's been talking about! When I catch you, they'll make me captain of the Royal Guard for sure!"_

 

There's a knock at the door. "Come in," Asgore calls, and the door slowly opens, revealing the figure of a human child almost completely covered in layers of drying mud. He can see the outlines of clothes underneath the mud, and the child's face is bare of mud, as well as their hands and feet.

"Child! Have the guards mistreated you in any way?" Asgore asks, his voice soft. The child shakes their head. 

"No, I did it myself." 

"Why-"

"Easier to hide. Camouflage."

Now that he looks at the child more closely, he can see how the layer of mud would conceal them in an area like the Waterfall. 

"Have you eaten at all since them?" 

Another shrug. "Didn't buy anything 'cept at the Ruins. They had a bake sale. Mostly I went looking in the dump when no one else was there. Even if there were people there, I hid so they couldn't find me. Can I have some tea?"

Pushing another mug across the table, Asgore does his best to smile warmly at the child. They look at the table, then him, before crossing over and grabbing the mug. Some of the mud flakes off onto the floor. The child takes a small sip.

"It's good." Taking another sip, the child continues with, "Darwin."

"Pardon?"

"I'm Darwin."

Pause.

"Like the scientist." 

Darwin's smile droops. "...it's okay, I know you're mad at me. You should be."

"Child..."

Darwin raises his chin defiantly. "I killed them, and you know it. 'veryone knows it. 'n I hurt the other one real bad."

Asgore  **checks** Darwin for the first time. 

**Darwin**

**LV: 3  HP: 15/20**

  ***...**

"Child, do you know why we were searching for you?" Asgore asks, dread in his soul. He's not sure what would be worse; Darwin turning himself knowing his fate, or Darwin turning himself in while ignorant of what would come.

Darwin doesn't answer. "They say you have a garden. Can I see?" He holds his hand out.

"...That would be...lovely."

Standing up, Asgore takes the small hand in his much larger one. "Do you like flowers?"

The boy nods. "Uh-huh."

The two of them head out into the garden together, hand in hand.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> starting to realize there are a lot of oc's here, unless frisk's mother and grandma don't count.  
> maybe i should make a cheat sheet, but...i don't want to make this story feel like homework or something.  
> i'll shelve that idea for later.


	67. how does skeleton work?

"I dunno, Gabe, it doesn't seem that simple." 

"Trust me, the simplest answers are often true. Look , if you really care that much, why don't you ask them? I'm sure Sans and Papyrus won't mind you asking about their names. Maybe it's a skeleton tradition or something."

"Maybe? But I don't want to be rude. Besides, that's not really what I wanted to ask."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you know like when they talk right? Did their parents have to wait until they started talking before they could name them or something?"

"Why would they have to do that?"

"You know, the way you see them talk. It can't be a coincidence, don't you think?"

"Scout, I have no clue what you're talking about."

"...Never mind. Probably not important anyway."


	68. hiding behind apathy

"Can I get a small strawberry cone?" pipes a young voice from behind the counter. Leaning over, she sees it's a monster child, some kind of rabbit or something.

"Sure, kid," she says, reaching out and grabbing the ice cream scooper. "You want any toppings on it?"

"No, thanks!" The child chirps, wriggling excitedly. 

"Alright, here you go. One strawberry."

"Thanks!" They push over the correct amount of change with their other paw, smiling brightly.

"No prob, kiddo."

 

Ebott Creamery isn't the only ice cream place in the city, but it is one of the few ice cream stores that isn't a chain restaurant, as well as one of the few places that openly serves monsters.

Ell's owned the place for over forty years, and is proud to say that every single scoop of ice cream sold is homemade, nothing like those cheap brands you can buy at supermarkets. 

However, the reporters nowadays don't seem to really care about the quality of her ice cream, but rather the fact that she willingly allows monsters into her establishment without much fuss, something that other businesses are still on the fence about.

When asked, she'll say the same thing. "I do it for the money. As long as they can pay, I don't care who they are or where they came from."

And it's true. She doesn't do it because she's nice, or because she cares about equality. Sure, maybe she's noticed that there are a lot more monsters showing up, and maybe driving away some of her human customers, but most of them were the type that tended to leave behind a ton of trash and garbage behind, so really, she wasn't too sad to see them go. And maybe she's given monster kids some freebies when they couldn't afford to pay.

And, yeah, maybe she's threatened to punch a business man's lights out when she saw him harassing a young monster couple, even though she wasn't on the clock or even near her store. It still gained her business in the end, because both of them are now regulars, and usually get at least two scoops each.

So really, she isn't someone who cares about anything but keeping her business afloat, and what she does is just for the profit alone. 


	69. paleontology

You fill several plastic cups with water, not too much because they will spill, and you place a small plastic dinosaur in each one. Each dinosaur floats placidly in their own pool, content with their surroundings.

   
Now it's time for the next part. Getting your step-stool, you push it against the 'fridgerator, and wrench the freezer open. There's not much in there besides a few grape popsicles, which you always leave for last because you like them the most.

You put each cup in the freezer, and close it up tight. 

 

When you come back a few hours later, the dinosaurs are frozen in their cups. You grab all of them and head outside. It's a hot day, so they feel nice against your arms.

Placing all of them down gently, you bring out a small spoon and start chipping away at the ice. 

You're a paleontologist now. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> inspiration from this came from an animation of game grumps, can't remember what episode but ross described how he, as a child, did pretty much the same thing frisk did. so, kudos to ross.  
> kind of short, but i'm working on one that will be a lot longer, hopefully it will be out soon.


	70. if i had to perish twice

For most children, a day off from school is the perfect opportunity to play with friends. Evergreen, however, has always been a bit of a loner, preferring to spend her time exploring the forest around Snowdin instead.

The air feels cool and crisp against her whiskers, and the familiar smell of pine comforts her. Walking along, she pokes each snowpoff she sees, delighting in the way they collapse, feeling proud for making the path easier to walk on. 

Then she spots a much larger snowpoff. It looks more like a snowlump, but even bigger, almost about her height lay down.

Walking up to it, she gives it an experimental poke. Her paw touches something that isn't snow, something soft yet firm. 

"Wah!" she cries, leaping back as whatever it is  _moves_ slightly. When nothing else happens, she creeps forward and begins brushing off the snow. Maybe it's a reactivated puzzle?

It's not a puzzle. 

To her horror, she sees a kid laying on their back in the snow, barely moving, breaths so shallow she can hardly see them at all. 

 

"Mama! Mama!" Evergreen calls frantically, bursting indoors, slamming the door with a clatter behind her. Her mother, sitting on the sofa with the newspaper, looks up, and starts to scold her for slamming the door, as well as tracking snow into the house, but, seeing her daughter's frantic expression, stops her mid-scold.

Rushing towards Evergreen, she scoops her up in her arms. "Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" She asks worriedly, scanning her daughter for injuries. 

Evergreen wriggles in her mother's grasp until she is put down. "Mama, there's a kid! In the snow! They're not moving!"

Grabbing her medical kit, Pip tells her daughter in a firm voice, "Lead me to them."

When the arrive at the spot, she sees the child and is stunned by the fact they haven't already dusted yet. Hurriedly, she **checks** them. 

**Cody**

**LV 1  HP 2/15**

Cradling the young child in her arms, Pip rushes home with Evergreen close behind, snow flying with each running step. The return seems to take hours, but finally they're inside. Rushing to the living room, Pip tells Evergreen to fetch some Sea Tea, while she warms up the child. Though she recoils at the idea of invading the child's privacy, their survival came first. Stripping them of their clothes, she starts rubbing them with a towel. The child, still lying in her arms, whimpers slightly. Their hand slowly reaches up before falling flat again.

Evergreen hurries back with Sea Tea. "Okay," Pip says, "we'll need to make sure they get some into their system." 

Carefully, she spoonfuls drops of Sea Tea into the child's mouth, most of which ends up dribbling out. But some of the tea does seem to be working, because their HP is slowly crawling back up.

She  **checks** them again, and is relieved to see that their HP is now five, much higher than it was before. The child is no longer still, though their movements are sluggish it's better then they were before.

Wrapping the child in blankets, she settles in front of the fire. Now that young Cody's in a better shape, their soul can be pulled out safely for examination.

"..."

"Mama?"

Their soul...it's  _wrong_. The whole thing is saturated a pale blue color, and it's upside-down to boot. 

No...she realizes, their soul isn't  _wrong_ , because this is...

"This is a human," she breathes, starting down at the child, whose soul has already retreated. 

"Mama?" Evergreen asks once more, voice shaking with fear, paws clutching each other. She's still wearing her winter gear, despite the warmth of the house.

Mentally shaking herself, Pip responds, "No matter. Evergreen, I need you to make up the guest bedroom for me. First, take off the coat, it looks like you're boiling alive in there."

Shedding her coat and hat, Evergreen leaves them in a heap as she runs off.

"She always does this," Pip find herself fondly saying to the unconscious child. They stir, mumble out what might be the word  _mom_ , before falling back unconscious.

 

For hours, the child writhes in bed, burning with fever yet still shaking uncontrollably. All she can do is press cold rags against their head and give them spoonfuls of soup, and hope the sickness will soon pass. As time goes by, she find herself humming old lullabies she hadn't sung since Evergreen was a baby, rubbing soothing circles on their palm with her paws. At first, their hand is lax, but then it clutches her wrist with a tight grip.

"Oh, little one," she breathes, "you're certainly a survivor."

 

Three days later, the fever begins to clear. By the fifth day, the child is able to sit up without assistance, and is now beginning to be fully aware of their surroundings.

On the sixth day, when Evergreen's mother is out shopping, she approaches the room cautiously. Peering around the door, she sees the human.

Just to be sure, she asks, "You're a human, right?"

The kid startles, before nodding their head. "Yes," they whisper. They don't look scary, or even dangerous, huddled in the guest bed, propped up with pillows and nestled among layers of thick blankets. They look sickly, their face pale and thin, with dark circles under their eyes.

"Are you sure?" she asks dubiously.

The kid smiles. "I'm sure. Wanna see my soul? I might need some help though."

"Mama will get mad at me. She says you need to rest, and I'm supposed to make sure you don't do anything," Evergreen informs them, her voice more confident. 

"Okay."

"Can you show me when you get better?"

The human coughs a little before saying, "Yeah, I can."

Creeping closer to the bed, she asks, "Do humans eat monsters?"

This sets the other kid in a fit of laughter that ends in more coughs. "Do monsters eat humans?" they ask back, giggling when Evergreen instantly recoils.

"Ewwwwww! That's gross!"

This time, both of them giggle.

Clambering onto the end of the big bed, Evergreen regards the human. They're kind of funny looking, she thinks. For one thing, they don't have fur, scales, or feathers; their face is flattened with only their smallish nose sticking out. Do all humans look like this?

"All monsters are made of magic, right?" the human asks quietly, staring at their hands twisting together on the bed sheet.

Evergreen, who's not a good student at school and rarely is called to explain anything, slightly puffs up as she responds with, yes monsters are made of magic.

"Then what's magic made of?"

"Ummmm..." Still riding off the giddiness of being able to teach someone something, she quickly replied with, "Magic! Magic is made of magic!"

Before the human can interrupt, she quickly asks, "What about humans? What are you made of?"

The human shrugs. "Guts and organs and stuff. Mostly water."

"Water? Really? Like the kind you drink?"

"I guess so."

"Weeeeeiiiirrrdd. But you still have a soul, right? My teacher said that souls are made of magic."

More coughs. "I dunno." They're starting to sound tired.

Crawling up to them, Evergreen pokes them on their cheek gently. "My name's Evergreen," she informs the human.

"...'m Cody."

A long pause. "C'n you stay?" Cody yawns, eyelids drooping. 

Carefully, she slides under the covers next to Cody, leaving a space between them. 

"Can...you tell me a story?"

**The Human and the Monster**

**by Evergreen**

Once upon a time there was a monster who was super cool and had lots of friends because they were cool. The monster lived by themselves in a big house and was in charge of everything there so they never had bedtimes and didn't have to eat gross food.

One day they were walking in the forest when they saw a human.

"Hello human," the monster said and the human was happy to see them. "I'm lost," said the human, "I've been walking for ten bazillion hours and I can't find my way out. Can you help me?"

The monster said yes, because they liked helping people in need, no matter who they were. They lead the human through the forest. But when they reached the monster's house they saw there was now a giant river in front of it.

"Oh no," the monster said, "I can't swim." So the human said "I will help you" and they picked the monster up and carried them across the river.

Then the two of them lived together and were best friends forever.

**The End**


	71. fallen humans (not a chapter)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> all the fallen children that have appeared so far (will be updated, i plan on writing about all of the fallen children individually at least once)

**Fallen Humans (so far, in no particular order)**

1.) Ariel  **(Kindness, Green Soul)**

Appearances: Mentioned in Chapters 51 as well as Chapter 64. Probably one of the later humans to fall into the Underground, might make her have fallen just before Frisk.

 

2.) Cody  **(Patience, Light-blue Soul)**

Appearances: Shows up in Chapter 70. 

 After some thought, I've decided to make them the first human (after Chara) to fall Underground, and when Toriel left Asgore she took their items with her.

 

3.) Casey Woods ( **Justice, Yellow Soul)** Only one to have been given a first and last name so far. Definitely one of the earlier humans to fall Underground. Not the first human (after Chara) to fall, but probably the second. Name inspired by Casey Jones from TMNT.

Appearances: Chapter 62.

Nickname: 'Chief'

 

4.) Darwin  **(Perseverance, Purple Soul)** Depending on how long Frisk was Underground, he was the longest human to survive in the Underground undetected. 

Appearances: Chapter 66.

 

5.) Louis  **(Bravery, Orange Soul)**

Appearances: Chapter 73.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT 3/13/2019: I just realized more and more of my titles are inspired by poetry, either lines from poems or direct ripoffs of the titles.  
> Lol I've turned (even more) pretentious.


	72. there's a starman waiting in the sky

**_"Frisk?"_ **

You are floating adrift in a sea of darkness on a boat without a sail. 

**_"My child?"_ **

**_"kiddo?"_ **

You've always been afraid of the ocean in a way you can't describe. It isn't a rush of panic. but rather a sensation that...clings to you, wraps around you with a grip that grows tighter and tighter until you can't breathe. 

You're floating adrift in a sea of darkness and silence, on a boat without a sail.

Opposite you sits another kid, also wearing a striped sweater. Their smile is shaky when they ask, "Are you...okay?"

You nod, then shake your head in quick succession.

"You don't know, huh. I don't know if I'm okay neither. By the way, have you seen my brother? Probably not. He likes to hide."

_Who are you?_

"I'm Chara. You probably don't remember me. Do you? It's okay if you don't. Memory is a weird thing, you know?"

The boat rocks ominously.

You grip the sides tighter. 

"You're scared, aren't you?" They hold out their hand and you grip it tightly. "Don't worry, I'm here. And your friends are here too. They're just...further away. Listen, this place reflects your mind. Just breathe. Imagine a warm place, can you do that?"

You close your eyes tightly.

Chara continues, " **t** he **su** n **is s** hin **ing, f** l **owers are b** lo **omin** g..."

Chara sounds different now, their voice warping and twisting. 

You snatch your hand away, press both of them against your ears. 

 **kid** s li **ke** you

 **kid** s like  **you**

**should be burning in hell**

 

You're floating adrift in a sea of darkness without a sail. All around you, large skeletal hands are reaching from the water, trying to to pull you into the depths below.

You scramble to the floor, press yourself against it, hoping they won't find you.

The boat is rolling and churning on the waves.

And then-

 

"HELLO SANS! IT APPEARS WE ARE ON SOME KIND OF BOAT. AND LOOK, FRISK IS HERE TOO! HELLO FRISK! IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU...ALTHOUGH I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW I GOT HERE. IS THIS A DREAM? I RARELY HAVE THEM, SO MAYBE THIS IS ONE?" 

You open an eye. You're still on the boat, but the sea is now calm. Chara is gone, but sitting across from you is Sans. In the middle of the boat stands Papyrus, wobbling slightly from the slight dips and tilts of the waves. He turns to Sans with a hurt expression.

"DREAM SANS! YOU REALLY SHOULDN'T SCARE THE HUMAN!"

"how so, paps?" Sans says, leaning back lazily.

"REAL SANS IS NEVER LIKE THIS! WELL...NO MATTER! I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU AND THE HUMAN AREN'T GETTING ALONG IN MY DREAM...DO YOU THINK THIS MEANS SOMETHING IN REAL LIFE?"

"probably not."

"IF YOU SAY SO, BUT...NEVERMIND ABOUT THAT! YOU AND DREAM FRISK OBVIOUSLY NEED TO WORK THINGS OUT SOMEHOW. THE SELF-HELP BOOK SAID THAT UNDERLYING ISSUES CAN RUIN FRIENDSHIPS!"

He strikes a heroic pose, then turns to you.

Gently, he says, "FRISK? I KNOW THIS IS JUST A DREAM, AND YOU AREN'T REAL, BUT...FRISK? YOU'RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING DIFFICULT, AREN'T YOU? YOU AND SANS BOTH."

You keep your eyes on your shoes. 

"bro, i think you're  _dream_ ing too much into this situation. besides, this isn't real right? it's just a dream...right?" You look up just in time to see what looks like a flash of confusion cross his face.

"DOESN'T MATTER! WHAT YOU FEEL IN THIS MOMENT IS REAL ENOUGH, AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, CANNOT STAND BY WHEN MY FRIENDS ARE HURTING! ALSO, I DON'T THINK BEING HERE IS HELPING ANYTHING. IT'S KIND OF...CREEPY. DOES ANYONE KNOW HOW TO GET HOME?"

You shrug. Sans shakes his head, and says, "nope. sorry, bro."

"...WELL, THIS ISN'T THE BEST, BUT DO NOT WORRY! UNDYNE HAS ALWAYS SAID THAT I HAVE AN EXCELLENT SENSE OF DIRECTION!"

 He takes you and Sans by the hand, and steps out of the boat.

"bro?" Sans yelps.

You close your eyes. When you open them, you see...

 

_...You're in your room._

_Toriel standing in front of you._

_"My child," she whispers softly, as if she is afraid you're going to break. "It's going to be alright."_

 

"HMMM...I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS ANY BETTER."

The three of you are standing in a field of grey dust pockmarked with craters. You look up and see, far off in the distance, is a tiny blue dot.

Earth.

Sans is looking around bewildered. 

"uh..."

"BROTHER?"

"well, this experience is certainly  _out of this world,"_   Sans jokes.

Papyrus is now standing in front of both of you. He looks...uncertain, yet still determined.

"SANS? CAN YOU PROMISE ME SOMETHING? FRISK, AS WELL. I KNOW I CAN BE...WELL, I KNOW I AM A VERY INSPIRATIONAL SKELETON, BUT...YOU DON'T NEED ME IN ORDER TO BE A GOOD PERSON. IF I WAS...NOT AROUND...WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT...PROMISE ME YOU WON'T LOSE YOURSELVES?

EVEN I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NOT THE REASON WHY YOU TWO ARE SO GREAT YOURSELVES. YOU TWO ARE GREAT WITH OR WITHOUT ME THERE, THOUGH I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO BE THERE AND I KNOW YOU GUYS FEEL THE SAME.

ANYWAY, SANS, THAT WAS AN AWFUL PUN! I CAN'T BELIEVE I WOULD THINK UP THAT IN MY DREAM!"

"i'm proud of you paps. you're on the path to becoming a legendary punmaster."

"UGHHHH..."


	73. keep your hands steady

When the human emerges from the Ruins, they immediately start fighting everyone they can. 

 

"Wanna brawl?" he asks, over and over. "I'm Louis! It's okay if you don't want to fight. I know you guys have your own style of fighting, which is why I wanna share the way I know how to fight too!"

If they say no, he'll reply with a variation of, "Okay!"

If they say yes...

 

_"Okay, so this is how boxing works. Normally you wear two gloves, but I only have the one. Just imagine I'm wearing two, alright?"_

_The two monster children look at him, eyes sparkling. "Okay, so this fighting style is called boxing. There are a lot of rules, and one of them is that you aren't allowed to seriously hurt or kill anyone."_

_One of the kids, a smaller flower monster, raises one of their leaves. "Why is it called boxing? Does it have boxes in it?"_

_"Nope. I think it's called that cause it take places in a boxing ring, which is basically a contained area to fight in. Got it?"_

_The two nod._

_"Okay, first things first. You need to learn how to stand properly. Ummm...okay, copy me." Bending down into a crouch, he holds in arms in front of his face. "See the way I'm holding my hands, as well as the placement of my feet? This is a basic boxing stance. That was the first thing coach taught us."_

_The two kids do their best to mimic him. Walking around, he says, "Okay, that's good. Keep your knees bent a bit more, Kree."_  

 

...Then he'll give them a crash course on boxing, cobbled together from various lessons he took on the Surface. 


	74. ???

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> remember all those weird chapters about science?  
> hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...................


	75. thinking of friends long gone

_"Excuse me, but does...um...Toriel live here?"_

_"nah. sorry, kid. she lives a few rows down. why?"_

 

A knock startles you out of the dazed state you had been in while watching commercials, and you spill some of the (now soggy) cereal and milk onto the hardwood floor.

Placing the bowl carefully on the table, you tiptoe to the front door and look through the mailbox slot. 

You see...legs, and not much else. 

"Hi!"

With a startled shriek, you fall backwards, hitting your head.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to scare ya! I just thought...well, are you alright?"

The mailslot is now being held up by someone with a small hand. They sound like a kid, too.

"Sorry 'bout coming so early. Anyway, does Miss Toriel live here?"

You tap on the door once. 

"Ummmm...one for yes, two for no?"

You tap the door once again. 

"So you live with Toriel, right? She's a nice lady. Is she here now?"

You tap the door twice, Toriel is out shopping, and just left fifteen minutes ago.

"Well, I gotta go soon, but...um...tell her that I'm sorry, okay?"

You swing open the door. 

As you had suspected, standing there is a kid, dressed in jean overalls and knee-high rain boots. "Hey! You're Frisk, ain't ya?"

You nod slowly.

"I remember you! Umm...it's okay if you don't remember me. Anyway, can you give her this?" They hold out something in their cupped hands.

You take it. It's a small bottle cap made into a pin. 

"I gotta go now, but tell her I said hi!"

The kid then takes off, running down the street until they're out of sight.

 

_"I want to tell her somethin'  real important."_

_"uh huh. so, uh, who are you, kid? how'd you know toriel anyway?"_

_"I ain't a kid, mister. I'm a sheriff. You can call me Chief."_


	76. here comes a thought

THERE IS NO DOUBT IN MY MIND THAT MY BROTHER, SANS, IS VERY GREAT, DESPITE HIS AWFUL SENSE OF HUMOR AND INSISTENCE ON TAKING TWELVE HOUR LONG NAPS. AND PERHAPS HE COULD BE A BIT NEATER, AND STOP EATING GREASY FOOD ALL THE TIME INSTEAD OF NUTRITIOUS (AND DELICIOUS!) SPAGHETTI.

NO MATTER! EVEN THE BEST MONSTERS HAVE FLAWS, AND I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AM NO EXCEPTION. NEVERTHELESS, I STRIVE TO BE THE BEST SKELETON THAT I CAN BE!

:D

HOWEVER...SANS...

I KNOW SANS IS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING...DIFFICULT, SOMETHING HE DOESN'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT. AND I WORRY ABOUT HIM, BECAUSE HE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FEEL LIKE HE CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT.

WHATEVER IT IS, IT'S SOMETHING I CAN'T YET UNDERSTAND OR EXPLAIN. I WANT TO HELP SO BADLY, AND I WILL NEVER STOP! 

I JUST WISH...HE TRUSTED ME MORE. THEN I WOULD KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. 

I KNOW! THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS EXCELLENT AT PUZZLES. IF I THINK OF THIS AS A VERY IMPORTANT PUZZLE, NO DOUBT I WILL BE ABLE TO DISCOVER WHY SANS IS UNHAPPY.

FIRSTLY, I SHALL MAKE EVEN MORE SPAGHETTI! SANS ALWAYS SEEMS HAPPIER WHEN EATING I'VE MADE! NO DOUBT THIS WILL CHEER HIM UP. MAYBE I CAN COOK SOMETHING WITH HIM! AFTER ALL, COOKING ALWAYS MAKES ME FEEL BETTER!

SECONDLY, I WILL DO MY BEST TO TOLERATE HIS AWFUL PUNS. PERHAPS ACKNOWLEDGING HIS SENSE OF HUMOR WILL ALSO HELP! 

THIRDLY, I WILL SUGGEST THAT HE JOIN A CLUB! THAT WAY HE CAN BE A PART OF SOMETHING! IN FACT, I SHALL CREATE MY OWN CLUB, AND NO DOUBT HE'LL WANT TO JOIN A CLUB CREATED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS! 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me after writing second chapter: probably will end here, I'm all out of ideas  
> Boy was I wrong.  
> Honestly, I never thought this fic would get this big, or that people would actually like it!  
> So, this is a thanks to all of my readers :D


	77. clinging to convictions

paps likes it when i comes to pick him up from the garden club, and since asgore's place is just a block away it's no big deal for me to walk there, plus, it seems to make him really happy when i don't shortcut there. 

it's a nice day outside, bright and sunny, perfect for gardening. when i get there, gabriel and scout are talking outside asgore's house. gabe, being the one facing away from asgore's place, sees me first.

"Hey, Sans," gabe says, waving lazily. scout turns around, and smiles.

"Me and Gabe were just talking about dumb stuff," she says. gabe scowls slightly, but then shrugs, his face relaxed.

"I think the others will be out in about ten minutes," he says, "they're all out getting more seeds from the garden place. Me and Scout just finished weeding, and I remembered we have a paper due in about a week about...well, basically morality and stuff. It's a group project, and personally I think we can wait until the day before, but...well, Scout disagrees."

Scout sighs. "Look, I hate homework, but I also want to get this over with. All we have to do is agree on whether or not we agree that George's actions were right, and why or why not we think this."

"george?" i ask.

"He's a character from a book," gabe explains. "we had to read it for English Lit. Basically, it's about this guy George who gives up violence, only to have his entire family killed by the gang he's in when he says he won't fight for them anymore. When he has a chance to kill the gang leader at the very end of the book, he chooses not to, and it ends with him saying to the leader that revenge won't bring anyone back."

"wow. that's kind of...well, that's kinda dark." i comment. 

gabe shrugs. "Yep."

"Tell me about it," scout says, kicking the ground with the toe of her sneaker.

"We haven't been able to agree on anything either," gabe comments, "but I don't really care too much about this class. Anyway, I'm heading inside to get something to drink. My mouth feels like I've rubbed it with sandpaper."

with that, gabe swings open the door and closes it gently behind him.

scout sighs. "Actually, I think Gabe is kind of annoyed with me. He wants us to just to write that we think George's actions were right, just so we can get the assignment over with quickly." 

huh. 

"and, uh, you disagree with this?" i comment. scout briefly stares down at her shoes.

"I just...I don't know. On one hand, I think that his choice of pacifism is kind of noble." with her free hand, she rubs the back of her neck sheepishly. "But...whenever I really think about it, I just...can't. It's just that, well, pacifism is all well and good...in theory. But, um...in practice, I just don't know."

"didn't take you to be the glass half empty kind of person," i say with a wink, letting her know i'm only teasing.

"Actually," she says, "it's been something that I've been thinking about even since...well, ever since you guys broke the Barrier. I just...look, I want to believe that everyone has the potential to be good. I know Gabe thinks that way, and Papyrus definitely had a big impact on that."

"not you?" i question, wondering where this conversation is going.

"...I guess not. I just...look, let's say you, um, well, had someone you cared about. And you know that they couldn't seriously hurt or kill someone, no matter what. It's just not in their nature, and you can't change that.

But if you had the power to save them, wouldn't you do anything to protect them? And if you couldn't save them, would you be able to live with yourself afterwards, knowing that you could have done something but didn't, just because you didn't want to hurt anyone? Pacifism is a good idea in theory, but in reality...I just don't know."

i shrug, trying to appear nonchalant. "i dunno, frisk seemed to pull it off pretty well, and still managed to break the barrier without hurting anyone. i'd say that shows that pacifism works out well in real life."

"But...what is they hadn't?"

i freeze. "what do you mean? the kid would never hurt a fly, and you know it."

"I know. It's just, well, if they hadn't chosen not to kill anyone, would you have stood by because of your convictions?"

this is definitely going into dangerous territory. "well, i wouldn't know, would i?"

"..."

i grin weakly. "i think you're  _reading_ too much into this. sides, it's not like i could do much anyway. i don't have enough power for that."

for a while, she looks at me, clearly considering something. before she can say anything else, gabe comes out with a grimace on his face. 

"Scout, why didn't you tell me that Papyrus only made spaghetti lemonade?"


	78. other humans (also not a chapter)

**Quick Q and A about the two humans who have been popping up in various chapters**

 

**Q: Who are Scout and Gabe? Are they secret Undertale characters that no one knows about?**

**A:** Scout and Gabe are not secret Undertale characters, they're ones I just made up off the top of my head. My idea for now is that they'll only appear in chapters from Sans' perspective. 

Why? Well, there are two reasons. The first is that turned into a  _thing_ now, and I don't want to break the trend. The second reason? 

I'll get to that later. 

Just for the funsies, I made Gabe related to the Green Soul human. Does this add a depth to his character? Maybe???

I dunno. I figure he also has a Green Soul as well. Not sure about Scout tbh. 

**Q: Are they important to the plot? Is there a plot?**

**A:** Short answer to the first question: no idea. Long answer: maybe, or at least for one part.

The second answer is yes, there is a plot, sort of. They're all connected in some way in a nonlinear fashion. 

As for plot points? There's a bunch. But, you can also read it as just one-shots. 

Basically, my goal is to probably create a bunch of longer fics where I focus more on one aspect. For example, I might make a fic purely about the six human souls, and go into more depth about each one. 

TL;DR 

The OCs are just one part of the story, not the sole focus. 

 

 


	79. derailing the train

Sometimes it feels like his dreams don't belong to him. Which is ridiculous! Who else would they belong to? Still, the thought remains in the back of his skull, as silly as the idea is. 

The dreams usually start out...not too great, but all he needs to do is swoop in and fix the problem right away!

 

_He's standing in a long hallway lined with pillars. In fact, he's behind one right now!_

_The Judgement Hall. He's never really liked being here, but no matter! Time to figure out what this dream means!_

_..._

_"it's a beautiful day outside. birds are singing, flowers are blooming. on days like these, kids like you...should be burning in hell."_

_"NYEH? SANS? ARE YOU PRACTICING SOME KIND OF MONOLOGUE?"_ _he calls,_   _walking out from behind the pillar. There's Dream Sans! And Dream Frisk! But..._

_Are they going to fight?_

_"wait...what?" Sans asks._

_Dream Frisk doesn't say anything, but does drop the knife they've been holding. It's a good thing they did, because running with sharp objects is never safe!_

_Both of them are now facing him, confusion on their faces._

_"EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE MERELY A DREAM, I STILL THINK YOU SHOULD BE LESS...WELL, SCARY. REAL SANS WOULD NEVER BE LIKE THIS! COME TO THINK OF IT, REAL SANS WOULD NEVER BE THIS PROACTIVE."_

_"bro?" Sans' voice sounds strained. Close to tears._

_"OH NO! I MADE DREAM YOU SAD!" Running up, he carefully scoops up Dream Sans into a hug. This only makes things worse, as Sans starts crying!_

_"I'M SORRY!" he wails. Sans hiccuping through his tears, pats him on the back._

_"it's...i'm just happy to see you...i'm not sad...you didn't do anything...i'm so glad you're here."_

_There's a tug on his scarf._

_"HELLO DREAM FRISK!" he says, holding Sans carefully in his arms. "DO YOU WISH TO JOIN TO HUG PARTY TOO?"_

_The human blinks up at him._

_"How?"_

_"THAT'S EASY, DREAM FRISK! I AM A VERY STRONG SKELETON, AFTER ALL, AND-"_

 

_"Not Frisk."_

_Sans is suddenly right in front of him, bone attack at the ready. "stay back, paps."_

_"SANS! THERE'S NO NEED TO FIGHT!"_

_"I'm not Frisk," the human repeats calmly._

_"yeah? who are you supposed to be then? you're still a killer ("SANS!" Papyrus protests) no matter what you call yourself."_

_"Not Frisk. They don't know anything. I'm Chara."_

 

 

The dream ended there before he could do anything to fix it, but no matter! Maybe next time he has this dream he'll be able to figure out how to solve it!


	80. stand alone as they are

Your human mother used to read giant books that looked like they would hurt very much if they fell on your toes. 

Sometimes she would read them out loud to you, and even though you didn't understand a lot of it, it was nice curling up next to her on the couch and listening. 

Usually she spoke quickly, but whenever reading her voice...changed. It became gentle like a river flowing slowly down a hill, like a cloud drifting lazily in the summer breeze. 

 

"Hydrogen in its monatomic form makes up 75% of all baryonic mass, making it the most abundant chemical substance in the universe. Look here, Frisk, it's the first element of the periodic scale, which means its the lightest. It only has one electron per shell."

You blink at the table divided into various colorful sections.

It reminds you of your painting kit. 

"Remember what I said about elements?" Ruffling your hair, she continues with, "elements are a substance that cannot be broken down into other substances. Everything is made of elements."

You nod quickly.

"Everything in the world is a series of chemical reactions, and remembering this makes me feel...well, it helps sometimes, knowing why things happen. The world makes more sense when you reduce it down to chemistry."

With a distant look in her face, she says, "I'm not a chemist, but it's nice to see the world from a chemical perspective."

You pat her on the hand.

She blinks.

"Anyway, hydrogen is one component of water. The combination of two or more elements is called a compound..."

You let the comforting sounds of her voice lull you into sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have you guys listened to the song 'meet the elements' by they might be giants?  
> fun fact: the title is in one of the lyrics  
> :D


	81. it's the end of the world as we know it and i feel fine

When the doctor came into the room, I already knew what he was going to say before he even opened his mouth.

Maybe it was his expression, eyes tightened at the corners, mouth heavyset.

How many times has he given this speech?

More than once. 

How many times does a person have to say this before they become numb to other people's grief?

_"I'm sorry, but your husband did not make it."_

Make it. 

Doesn't that sound like they're just running a bit late? 

_"Just missed the train, I won't make it to work on time."_

_"The meeting went over the designated time, won't be able to make it home for an hour or so."_

It's funny how a word can have so many different meanings. The bow of a ship, the bow in a child's hair ribbon, to bow at the end of a performance _._

_"We did everything we could."_

It's funny how just a few short words can destroy an entire world, an entire universe.

It's like watching the Big Bang in reverse, everything contracting into a single point of nothingness right before my own eyes, and I feel nothing at all but the distant idea that I should be upset.

Should be crying.

Or wailing.

But all I want to do is laugh. 

The doctor doesn't know what to do with me, a woman in her thirties giggling hysterically after hearing that her husband is dead. 

Such a strange woman, he most likely thinks. Such an awful, callous woman to laugh in the face of such a tragedy.

And it is a tragedy.

But tragedies happen to people on television or to people around me. They weren't supposed to happen in my life.

I want to scream at some manager in charge of the universal cosmos that I need a refund, that this isn't what I ordered.

I wanted to believe that miracles can happen to everyone, but now I know there are too many people in this wide world, and some people are just left behind, and the reason they're called miracles is because no one thinks they'll be among the lucky ones to hit the lottery on life.

It's funny how the weight of the world can come crashing down because of nine simple words, strung together to form a sentence.

_"I'm sorry for your loss."_

But their attempts at comfort are meaningless in the face of this unfeeling truth. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> While this chapter might seem like it's from Julie's (which is the name I gave Frisk's mom) perspective, it's actually not!  
> Who's it from?  
> Well, you'll (hopefully) find out soon. 
> 
> I guess this counts as a cliffhanger, sort of.


	82. funky fresh flow

**ACT**

*** tell joke**

*** run**

 

***tell joke**

"Why do seagulls fly over the sea?"

"dunno. why?"

"Cause if they flew over the bay, they'd be.... _bay_ guls!"

"..."

"Get it?"

 

"you killed everyone but him. "

"I couldn't this time. Doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on you."

 


	83. waiting in the wings for you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter went through some edits

**_Act One: The Understudy_ **

Ash has never really fit in amongst her classmates, although not in the typical victimized way. 

Sure, she's the occasional target of bullies, who often call her  _"spider legs!"_ or mockingly ask _"how's the weather like up there?",_ but mostly people aren't exactly sure what to do with her, so they leave Ash alone. 

(It gets tiring of being mean to someone who doesn't really react, and it isn't really fun to hang around with someone who rarely talks or even smiles.) 

At school, she drifts between classrooms like a listless balloon carried by the wind. Her grades are excellent, but her participation skills are low.

 

_"Ashley, your parents and I have been getting worried about your recent lack of interest in school. Has anything happened that made you feel this way?" The principal smiles at her, hands folded neatly on top of his desk. He sounds like that nice teacher on the telly, the one who wears knitted sweaters and never gets mad or impatient at anyone._

_The chair is much too small for her taller frame, and the cheap plastic material is sticking to her bare legs. Ash shrugs, a tiny motion of both shoulders that are no doubt are hardly visible._

_"My grades are fine."_

_Her teacher, standing next to the principal in knee high boots, sighs. "Ashley, the problem is that even though you have passable grades, you still seem reluctant to do anything but the bare minimum."_

_There's a piece of lettuce stuck between her teacher's bottom teeth. Whenever Ms. Evergreen talks, it's all she can focus on._

_The small green leaf bobs up and down with each word._

_Pressing down on the back of her hands with the other palm, Ash cracks both wrists with a small popping sound. Both of the adults wince slightly at the noise._

_"Is everything okay at home?" Ms. Evergreen asks, clear concern in her voice._

_Ash shrugs. "Things are alright at home."_

 

Ash is twelve years old and a self proclaimed hardened cynic. She even goes through a phase of wearing all black, though that phase doesn't last long. 

 

Dancing is her first passion, but debating is a close second.

Not really debating, more like questioning, because she tries to understand everyone without changing herself at the same time. For others, it can get a little annoying, because she's always questioning things, asking why about stuff that are just a normal part of life.

 

**Interlude**

_When she is twelve years old, her parents call her into the parlor, the one they keep specially for visiting guests only. Immediately, she sees something is wrong; both her mother and father are sitting on opposite ends of the plush sofa, instead of curled next to each other as per usual._

_Her mother's face is unreadable, save for the creases around her eyes that means she's nervous. Her father has not looked up at all, twisting his wedding ring round and round on his finger._

_There's a stillness in the air, an uncomfortable silence that seems to weigh her parents down, pulling them into some kind of depths that she cannot even imagine._

 

_Mother? Father?" she asks, "I'm not in trouble, right? I don't think I've done anything that bad...at least not yet."_

_Normally, her parents would have found this joke funny, but this time neither of them even crack a smile._

_"No, Ashley," her mother eventually says, "you're not in trouble. I...your father and I...need to talk with you about something important."_

_She gestures at the soft armchair placed in front of the sofa, the one that sinks inwards when you sit on it. When Ashley plops onto the chair, her knees nearly hit her chest._

_"Ashley," her father says, voice low and soft, "we've been keeping this from you for a while now, but I think you're old enough to know the truth."_

_Her mother sighs. "Seven years before you were born...we had another child. She was born sickly, but we loved her all the same."_

_"You mean I had an older sister? What was her name?"_

_Neither of her parents say a word._

_In that moment she knows the truth._

 

 **Act**   **3:**   **Finale**

 

_"Was I just a replacement?"_

The next day at school, she tells everyone to call her Ash instead. After that, she refuses to answer to anyone who calls her Ashley.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if anyone's interested in the stuff I wrote about the six fallen children, I'm starting a new fic focusing solely on them.


	84. breaking the chain of events

i tried.

no matter what i do, it's never enough.

heh. guess that's the story of my life. i've never been good at trying anything.

 

the demon wearing the face of a child stares back at me, their hands covered with dust.

among the dust staining their hands...

no.

no.

no.

can't think about it. 

can't.

it's a familiar song and dance by now. i stand in their way, say my piece, and wait. 

"sun is shining, flowers are blooming..."

_they look bored._

"on days like this, kids like you...should be b **ur** ni **ng** i **n** **hell**."

footsteps?

"NYEH? SANS, ARE YOU PRACTICING SOME SORT OF MONOLOGUE?"

no. it can't be.

**e**

**v**

**e**

**r**

**y**

**t**

**h**

**i**

**n**

**g**

 

**s**

**h**

**a**

**t**

**t**

**e**

**r**

**s**

it's him. 

no.

it can't be.

how?

i'm frozen.

i can't think.

pap? 

pap!

 

"EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE MERELY A DREAM, I STILL THINK YOU SHOULD BE LESS SCARY. REAL SANS WOULD NEVER BE LIKE THIS! COME TO THINK OF IT, REAL SANS WOULD NEVER BE THIS PROACTIVE."

"bro?" i stutter out. it can't be real, it can't. i saw him...i saw him...

but then-

he's hugging me. paps is here. he's HERE he's HERE he's HERE 

"I'M SORRY!" he wails.

i made him upset. he thinks it's his fault.

but it's going to be alright. it's going to be okay.

it's going to be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> now here's a new thought, is papyrus traveling through a dream this time?


	85. all we have is history; nothing new isn't a mystery

a week or so after paps takes me to his gardening club, i happen upon two of the human club members.

they're both standing in the cereal aisle. i think about passing them by when one of them waves at me. 

guess i better interact then.

i head on over to them. out of the two humans, i remember one of them more than the other, mostly due to the fact that they took out their right eye and tossed it to me.

that kind of thing really sticks with you. EYE'd even say it was a pretty surprising surprising event.

heh.

scout smiles at me. "Hey, Sans. How's life? Me and Gabe are just doing some shopping. i guess you got roped into doing some too."

"yep. paps is outside talking with someone about...i'm not sure exactly, but i think it has something to do with the meaning of life."

gabe and scout both exchange glances. "Is the person out there really tall and super pale?" scout asks, and i nod.

"yeah. was kind of surprised, actually, cause not a lot of humans are as tall as my bro."

"Then that must be Q. They...can be a bit of a wild card." gabe explains bluntly. scout shrugs.

"A bit harsh, but it's kind of true. Don't worry, Q is harmless."

i turn to face the front of the store, where i can see pap and a human talking through the glass doors. my bro is gesturing wildly, while the human is nodding sagely.

 

"...AND THAT'S WHEN UNDYNE AGREED TO TRAIN ME TO BECOME A ROYAL GUARD!" Papyrus exclaims, giving the human a thumbs up. 

They nod, a half smile forming on their face. "For a while I didn't think much about what I'm going to do next. Now that...well, now that things seem to be moving forward, I think I can start thinking about the future."

"BRAVO! THAT IS A VERY GOOD ATTITUDE TO HAVE! I CAN UNDERSTAND YOUR FEELING OF CONFUSION, AFTER ALL, I MYSELF AM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO NEXT!"

Q shifts their weight from one foot to another. "Anyway, it was nice talking to you. New things rarely happen around here."

 

 

 

"so, what's with the bandages?" i ask, motioning to the stiff white cloth that covers her left arm.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I broke my arm while skateboarding. It's kind of an embarrassing story, though. I was just standing on the board when I tipped over. Like a cow or something."

gabe grins, but pats her on the back gently. "Dude, it was your first time on a skateboard. You can't be too hard on yourself."

"yeah, cut yourself a  _break_ , it could have been worse."

gabe groans into his hand. "Now I know what your brother was talking about."

"what, did he say i was a pretty _punny_ guy?"

gabe sighs, and scout snorts with undisguised laughter. "C'mon, Gabe, don't be such a killjoy."

"I'm not a killjoy, I just appreciate a finer class of humor."

scout turns to me and stage-whispers to me, "That's coming from a guy who thinks knock knock jokes are funny."

"heh. don't  _knock_ 'em, I think they have their merits."

 

 


	86. fill in the blank

 

**Are you a boy? Or are you a girl?**

*You consider both options carefully, then write below:

**I am a FRISK**

in careful handwriting.

 

 

 

 


	87. patches

"You're boring," Ariel informs her infant brother. "You don't do  _anything_."

The baby blinks sleepily at her, clearly not paying attention. Huffing in frustration, she pokes Gabriel on the forehead; her brother barely even paying attention as he is instead more focused on attempting to fit his entire foot in his mouth. He only manages to get a few toes in. 

Even though it's been nine months already, Gabriel still isn't old enough to do anything cool. He can't ride a bike or play video games. He can barely even talk. 

"All you do is eat and sleep and poop. How come mom and dad like you so much?"

Gabe, now bored with his foot, reaches up to grab at Wellington. She quickly pulls her beloved bear out of his reach. "No! Wellington's mine! Not yours!"

 

 

Gabriel continues to reach for the toy, his grabbing motions becoming more and more desperate, eyes starting to well up with tears. 

"..."

"...Fine, you can  _borrow_ him." Reluctantly, she hands Wellington off. Gabriel snatches the toy, and without warning, shoves one of the stuffed paws into his mouth. 

"Wellington! You made him all wet!"

Grabbing the other paw, she tugs it, trying to get the toy out of her brother's mouth. Gabriel bites down harder. "Give him back!" she howls, yanking with all her strength. Suddenly, there is a  _r i p p i n g_ sound.

To her horror, she is now holding the disconnected arm of her bear, while the rest of him is still is being munched on by Gabe. 

This time, she shrieks so loud that her mom rushes down in a panic, afraid that one of them had gotten seriously injured. 

 

(After supper, her dad manages to reattach poor Wellington's arm.) After the incident, she keeps Wellington far out of Gabriel's reach. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just for clarification, ariel is the green soul human. gabe appears in some of the earlier chapters.


	88. same as it never was

After a hundred or so runs, it's easy to get careless. Which is why when Sans starts to deliver his spiel, you stop paying attention, and when he mentions his brother, you forget yourself and say, "My brother's dead, too."

Sans stops, looks at you like you're some kind of experiment waiting to be dissected on a chrome colored lab table, and for a moment, stops talking. 

An unwelcome break in the routine. Your hand clenches tighter around your knife.

"yeah?" 

 

You can never really tell how Sans' is feeling most of the time. Right now, he's probably still pissed off, but there's a worrying note of curiosity in his voice. 

_Troublesome._ You shouldn't have said anything. 

Time for a distraction.

 

So you grin, hold up your knife, and tell him, "You know, I only used this particular knife once. Guess who I used it on?"

You don't even see the attack coming until it hits.

**Death Tally:** 290

 

The next attempt, you don't say anything, and Sans doesn't seem to remember the conversation. You manage to dodge most of his attacks, until one of them manages to get past your defense, piercing straight through your chest. 

**Death Talley:** 291

 

His attacks are starting to become more familiar, but that doesn't mean it's any easier.

**Death Talley:** 324

 

You SPARE him once, just to see what will happen.

_Should have seen that coming._

**Death Talley:** 431

 

 

"Kill or be killed!" you shout, ducking and weaving between bone attacks. 

"kiddo," Sans wheezes through harsh laughter, "what do you think I'm doing right now?"

You attempt to attack again, but Sans dodges with ease.

"I lied earlier," you breathe, "do you remember?"

"nope. don't care either."

**Death Talley:** 489

 

"how long do you think it will take before you get bored?" 

"..."

"you've been at it for a while. maybe it's time to give up."

***In the back of your head, you can faintly feel the presence of Frisk, in what appears to be a deep sleep.**

Sans' attack has pinned you to the ground, and he's watching as the HP slowly drains out of you.

(Like a sponge full of water being squeezed dry.)

You stare him straight in the eye sockets as you begin to fade.

Your words are loose on your tongue, and you choke out, "he doesn't like peanut butter. why?"

**Death Talley:** 500

 

"so...uh...you gonna mention the obsession with peanut butter?" 

You trip over a bone attack, and ignoring the huge hit of HP taken, you ask, "How do you remember that?"

"heh. doesn't matter, anyway."

**Death Talley:** 520

 

The next round you almost manage to hit him, but at the last moment you trip, smashing your head against the ground.

**Death Talley:** 521

 

This time, before he can even say a word, you tell him, "They've killed me more times than I can count. Why shouldn't I fight back?"

He shifts from one foot to another. "you think that makes it better?"

"No," you answer honestly, "it's just something I've been thinking of."

**Death Talley:** 700

 

Eventually, though, Sans does fall.

Killing him doesn't bring you any satisfaction, but you haven't felt anything in a long time. 


	89. something to look forward to

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's always nice to cook with someone, isn't it? Especially when it's with a new friend.

In the middle of an intense cooking session, Papyrus does not hear anyone come into the kitchen.

So when then there is a tug on his apron (a very stylish one that reads ' ~~kiss~~  high five the cook!'), he startles so much that he ends up flinging some of the boiled noodles out of the pot, where they stick the ceiling above him. 

"THAT WAS...UNEXPECTED." 

"I'm sorry!" comes a small voice. Looking down, he sees it's a small human! 

"ARE YOU FRISK'S FRIEND FROM SCHOOL? IT'S VERY NICE TO MEET YOU!"

The tiny human child, blinks up at him, clearly in awe. "Can-can I help?" they finally ask. "I like cooking. I promise I won't get in the way."

"WOWIE! I WOULD BE HONORED TO HAVE SOMEONE HELP! RIGHT NOW I'M MAKING FRIENDSHIP SPAGHETTI. I'LL HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN, BUT IT'S MORE FUN COOKING WITH FRIENDS ANYWAY!"

The small child beams at him, their smile wide. "Thanks! I like spaghetti. I've made it once but mom helped out a lot too. She doesn't like cooking as much, though." 

He beams down at the small human, and they grin back.

 

As the noodles are boiling, Papyrus shows the small human his technique of making sauce.

"Wow! Mom will probably like this, she doesn't like me using knives so this will be way better." Already their face is smeared in several places with the red sauce.

 

"I don't think this is edible, Mr. Papyrus. It's glitter glue. That's for arts and crafts, not eating." The small human says, looking down at the sauce. 

"REALLY? IF YOU SAY SO HUMAN. I WILL TRY IT WITHOUT THE GLITTER GLUE!"

 

When they finish cooking the spaghetti, it looks a lot better than he expected. 

"This is really good," the human says around a mouthful of noodles, and the compliment makes his SOUL feel warm, because the best part of cooking is making people happy. 

Once they finish their bowl, the human child helps clean the dishes. 

 

"THANKS FOR HELPING ME! OH, WAIT, I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF! I'M THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

"Hi Papyrus. I'm Ariel. Can we cook again some other time?"

"THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL! NEXT TIME I'LL BRING SANS, HE'S MY BROTHER AND A BIT LAZY."

"I have a brother too," Ariel confides. 

"THEN YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE!"

Ariel giggles, saying, "Yeah, I do."

 


	90. question time!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *survey does not contain any science

**Q's Scientific* Survey for Monsters**

  1. **What is your favorite color?**
  2. **Do you like nacho's?**
  3. **Where do you think missing socks go?**
  4. **How old are you?**
  5. **Do monsters weigh anything?**
  6. **Are hot dogs sandwiches?**
  7. **If you could meet your hero, want would you say to them?**
  8. **Are your souls made of magic?**
  9. **What's magic made of?**
  10. **If you could be in a band, what instrument would you play?**
  11. **How long can you hold your breath?**
  12. **Do you like video games?**
  13. **Do humans have magic?**
  14. **Are souls made of magic?**
  15. **If you could travel anywhere, regardless of time or money, where would you want to go?**
  16. **Can you play one or more musical instruments?**
  17. **How many times have I given you this survey to complete?**
  18. **What do you think about pineapples on pizza?**
  19. **Have you ever actually seen question 18 at any time?**
  20. **What do you think about global warming?**
  21. **Do you think time travel is possible?**
  22. **Was the tree named after the palm, or was the palm named after the tree?**
  23. **Did you know that nothing we do matters because everything keeps starting all over again?**
  24. **If you had a mustache, what would you name said mustache?**
  25. **What do you like to do in your free time?**
  26. **What's my real name?**



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This next bit is a bit long.
> 
> My (maybe) plan for the future. So, this is turning out to be a lot bigger than I thought it would be, and there's actually a bunch of plots forming. 
> 
> There's the whole thing with Frisk, then there's the six souls (both past and present), as well as the families of said children.
> 
> Then there's the whole Papyrus who may be keeping timelines in his dreams? Either that or actually going into people's dreams. Could be one or both. Either way, he's definitely a part of the next plot below. 
> 
> And then there's the time travel aspect. This might actually be the one I've written the most about, and the one I've been pondering the most about. You may have noticed that there are some chapters that have been repeated, save for a few differences. That's one example.  
> So far I've written one-shots, all in the same universe (some in different timelines) with some chapters connected to each other in a sort of plot related idea.  
> My goal is to use all these little bits and create something out of it.
> 
> TL;DR If I started writing longer, more linear plots, would it be better to post them in separate fics?  
> if there's anything you'd like me to focus on more, let me know.  
> :D  
> Also, do you want me to be more descriptive when it comes to oc's?


	91. what still remains

There's a gaping chasm where his soul should be.

Sometimes he prods at it, experimentally, like when you lose a tooth and your tongue can't help but keep coming back and feeling the empty space left behind.

There's a sensation of loss, but not much else beyond that. He can't really feel anything resembling love or compassion, but he didn't need those emotions to begin with. 

He really doesn't.

 

Asriel had been a wimp, a crybaby who was too scared to use his powers, who just rolled over and accepted his fate.

What a chump. 

Flowey hates Asriel more than anything, because that moron couldn't do anything right. And now he's dead, and who's laughing now?

Flowey is. 

What kind of moron would just let people kill him and his best friend? Asriel, that's who. 

Asriel, who risked his life for nothing.

Asriel, who couldn't bear to hurt anyone. 

Asriel...who is now gone forever, save for the few parts of him that weren't as mushy or annoyingly stupid. All the useless bits had been carved away, leaving Flowey behind.

Is life just grand?

 


	92. just put it on my tab

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> smol sans and papyrus.

 

If there's one thing certain in Grillby's life, is that Sans will never pay off his tab. Never. It's kind of a running joke between the two, and he's pretty sure Sans is going to milk it until the day Grillby finally snaps and demands payment in full. 

 

_"we don't have money," the small skeleton says suspiciously. "why are you giving us food? what do you want, anyway?"_

_He hasn't touched his bowl of soup yet, although he keeps eying it longingly. He'd pushed away the other bowl before the other skeleton could pick up the spoon._

**_"I don't want anything."_** _Grillby signs._

_"yeah, right. no one does stuff for free. you want something. i'm not going to take it when i don't know if you're going to..."_

**_"How about this, I'll put in on a tab, which means you can pay me back anytime. Alright?"_ **

_"...ok. but if you try anything..." the skeleton's fists bunch up as he holds them in front of his face, "i'll fight you." Both of them look as though a stiff wind could blow them over, especially the smaller skeleton, but Grillby smiles as best as he can (not really having a mouth tends to make that difficult.)_

**_"I'll keep that in mind."_**  

But the truth is, that day will never come, because everything Sans orders will always be free of charge.

(The same goes for Papyrus, although the taller skeleton hasn't stepped foot in Grillby's establishment ever since he learned that greasy foods are bad for your health. Sometimes, Papyrus will scold Sans from outside the restaurant, and that's always funny to hear.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This doesn't have anything to do with the above chapter, but have you guys heard of Shane Koyczan? He's one of those poets who that hearing him read it out loud makes the experience better.  
> I totally recommend checking this one out:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0p4L8lBsJxI
> 
> Let me know what you guys think.


	93. high calorie content

Sans wakes up one afternoon with a strange feeling in his skull.

 _weird_ , he thinks.

 

The thing about San's "shortcuts," is that they don't really work when he's lying down. He's not sure exactly why, but that does mean he has to get out of bed first. 

Luckily, his mattress is on the floor, perfect for rolling off without injuring himself. 

_imagine being dusted by falling out of bed. heh. though, what could be a bed-er end for a lazybones like me?_

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts properly out of his skull, Sans decides to walk downstairs instead. 

"SANS! HOW WAS YOUR SEVEN HOUR NAP? THIS TIME, I MADE SOMETHING NEW! IT'S CALLED 'RAMEN.' APPARENTLY UNDYNE'S DATE FRIEND AND HER SEE PEOPLE EAT IN ALL THE TIME IN THEIR HUMAN CHILDREN'S CARTOONS."

(Meanwhile, in Hotland, Alphys stops in the middle of writing her magnum opus crossover fanfiction, and shudders slightly. For some reason, she has the sudden urge to call Papyrus and tell him that anime and cartoons are completely different things and anime is for all ages, AND that anime has deep and complex plots, unlike kid cartoons.)

It's a little burnt, but it's more edible than Papyrus' usual creations. "nice job, bro. but, uh, i gotta ask. what's with the sudden change? you starting to get bored with spaghetti?"

"OF COURSE NOT! BUT...SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE...WELL, WHY NOT TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, JUST FOR ONCE?"

"paps, that's one of the reasons why you're so cool."

"NYEH?"

"you always try new things. me? i stick with the familiar stuff." 

"DO NOT WORRY, BROTHER! JUST BECAUSE YOU LIKE DOING THE SAME THINGS, DOESN'T MEAN YOUR HOBBIES AREN'T WORTH ANYTHING! JUST DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY, AS LONG AS THAT DOESN'T INVOLVE ANY MORE OF THOSE TERRIBLE PUNS!"

"i make no promises."                             


	94. time for some brain games

School has never been easy for you; even though you try really hard to be a good student, your grades are barely passable at the best of times.

Almost all of your work comes back covered in red crosses, like someone had a nosebleed all over your papers. 

_wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong_

Sometimes your mom tries to help you with your homework, but whenever she explains stuff you only get more confused. Maybe it's because she's a scientist, and is used to talking to smart people. 

She never says it, but sometimes you wonder if she would stay home more often if you had been more like her.

If you'd been born smart. 

You know that probably isn't true, because she's really just busy.

It's not her fault. 

 

 

"The next word is Wednesday. After Tuesday, it's _Wednesday_."

Everyone else around you scribbles down an answer. 

You tap the eraser end of the pencil against your lips and frown.

_wednezday_

"Should. It _should_ be easy to pass this quiz."

This one's easier.

_shoud_

"Because. I was late  _because_ I slept in."

 _ ~~becuaz~~ ~~becauze~~ ~~becase~~_ ~~~~_because_

 

 No matter what school you're in, you're always placed in the low reading group because you can't spell. But you can read just fine. It's just that the letters get mixed in your brain and come out wrong, even when you practice. 

Whenever you try to explain this, the words stick to your throat like overcooked rice clumps are stuck there, and when you do try to explain, you can never say what you mean.

 

 You just need to work harder, you think. 

But no matter what you do, nothing seems to help you become less stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> probably don't need to say this, but this is not a good way of thinking.


	95. know that i'm with you the only way that i could be

EVER SINCE THE HUMAN LEFT SNOWDIN, SANS HAS BEEN...UNWELL. HE STAYS IN HIS ROOM ALL DAY, AND ONLY GETS OUT TO GO TO THAT GREASE-TRAP OF A BAR, AND EVEN THEN, HE DOESN'T EAT AS MUCH. HE DOESN'T TALK TO HIS FRIENDS...HE BARELY MAKES ANY PUNS. SANS IS HURTING, AND I CANNOT DO ANYTHING TO HELP HIM.

RIGHT NOW, ALL I CAN DO IS BE THERE FOR HIM. 

EVER SINCE THE HUMAN...LEFT SNOWDIN, SANS HAS BEEN GOING TO WORK ON TIME, EVEN WITHOUT ME HAVING TO WAKE HIM UP! SOMETIMES HE EVEN LEAVES WITHOUT ME!

NORMALLY I WOULD BE ECSTATIC...BUT I KNOW MY BROTHER WELL. HE IS NOT DOING THIS BECAUSE HE WANTS TO IMPROVE HIS WORK EFFIC, BUT BECAUSE HE AVOIDING SOMETHING. 

 

THE TOWN IS A LOT QUIETER NOW. SOME MONSTERS ARE TOO AFRAID TO GO BACK. THERE'S A COUPLE OF MONSTERS IN SNOWDIN WOODS WHO REFUSE TO LEAVE, AND DESPITE MY ENCOURAGEMENT, NOTHING SEEMS TO MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER. 

 

ONE DAY, SANS WALKS PAST HIS SENTRY POST. I FOLLOW HIM. "BROTHER?" I ASK. "WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" 

HE DOESN'T ANSWER. 

WHEN WE REACH THE DOOR TO THE RUINS, HE KNOCKS TWICE. 

THEN TWO MORE TIMES. THERE IS NO RESPONSE. FINALLY, SANS SPEAKS UP.

"knock knock?" 

"WHO'S THERE?"

"dishes."

"DISHES WHO?"

"dishes is a bad joke."

"SANS!"

"...i'm sorry."

"NYEH?"

I PAT HIM ON THE BACK. "IT'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, SANS. I PROMISE."

 

SANS IS SITTING AT HIS STATION WHEN I APPROACH HIM. "HELLO SANS!" I ANNOUNCE. HE SMILES A LITTLE BIT. 

"hey paps...how've you been?" 

"VERY GOOD!" I RESPOND, HOPING THAT MY POSITIVE ENERGY WILL HELP CHEER HIM UP. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK.

"i guess i'm not doing so well. you probably didn't know about the old lady from the ruins. i should have told you about her. you would have found her funny." 

HIS VOICE WAVERS SLIGHTLY. 

"SANS, I UNDERSTAND. IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT. IT'S NOT ANYONE'S FAULT. I STILL THINK THE HUMAN CAN BE A GOOD PERSON, DESPITE ALL THE THINGS THEY'VE DONE!"

SANS DOESN'T LOOK UP.

"i'm sorry paps. but i can't keep my promise." 

HIS SMILE DOESN'T REACH HIS EYES. THERE'S SOMETHING IN THEM, A EMOTION I'VE NEVER SEEN IN HIS EYES BEFORE. IT HURTS TO SEE HIM LIKE THIS. 

SANS' HAND REACHES UP AND TOUCHES MY SCARF WRAPPED AROUND HIS HOODIE.

"IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY, SANS."

BUT HE CAN'T HEAR ME AT ALL.


	96. and smiles to go before i sleep

You're having a tea party in your backyard when Toriel calls out, "Frisk? Your friend is here to see you!" Holding the screen door open with a paw, she lets a small figure slip past her. 

"Yo!" 

It's Monster Kid, wearing a red cape over his usual clothes. "What'cha doing, Frisk?" he asks, bounding over to you. 

You gesture towards the cardboard boxes covered in one of Toriel's old tablecloths, which have been embroidered with tiny strawberries on the edges. 

_Tea Party. Want to join?_

"Okay!" 

You gesture to an empty spot, and he sits himself neatly on the grass. There are five places at the table, and each one has a plastic saucer and a teacup. In your hands you have a teapot filled with lemonade. You fill Monster Kid's teacup. 

"Thanks!" Wrapping his tail around the handle, he takes a sip. "This is the best, yo!" Putting the cup down, he then asks, "Is that Verdana? He looks a bit different," pointing to the brown turtle munching lettuce contently on a plate.

_No, that's Andalus. He likes vegetables and classical music._ _Verdana is here._

You gesture to the small turtle who almost perfectly blends in to the green tablecloth below.

"Huh. Does Andalus like lemonade?"

_I don't think so. Would you like some more?_

"Sure!"

You refill his teacup. 

Andalus munches on his leaf contently. You rub Verdana's head in the spot they like best.

The sun is warm and the air smells sweet. It's springtime once again, and all the flowers that slept through the winter are beginning to grow once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can never have too many turtles.  
> Also, hello Monster Kid! It's great to see you. Do you guys want more stories with him in them? 
> 
> btw, anyone notice the name connection yet?


	97. everything i see, is probably a star

i never thought i would see the night sky. never thought i'd ever see the sky at all.

lemme tell you, i was  _star_ struck. being out there, it's nothing i ever imagined it would be. i remember pouring over astronomy books back when i cared about things a bit more. i don't know why i stopped caring as much. doesn't matter now.

apparently, humans have been up in space. sounds crazy, i know. there are even footsteps on the moon. not only that, but the moon has hair. wanna know it takes care of it?  
_eclipse it._

man, i'm on a roll right now. usually, puns aren't that hard to make up, but when it comes to space puns, i usually need to  _planet_ first.

eyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy. 

i've actually started getting into astronomy now that i'm on the surface. in fact, i'm reading a book on gravity right now, it's so good i can't put it down.

*drumroll noise*

looking up at the night sky, at the stars above, i just...

it's something i can't really describe.

there are so many stars, all of them million of lightyears away. some of the stars we see have already been gone for millions of years. but their light manages to reach the earth eventually. i bet you could find a metaphor in there somewhere, about the impact we leave behind or something. kind of deep, i guess. 

i wonder what the earth looks like from above.

i bet the view would be _astronomical._


	98. floccinaucinihilipilification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The multiple universe theory suggests that every action creates its own universe.  
> In one, Papyrus remembers, Sans does not, and this makes all the difference.

 

 

***LOAD**

 

The human stands before him with a blank expression; their eyes cool and unfeeling, sharp as the knife they are clutching in their left hand. 

Dust covers their striped sweater. 

"HUMAN," he begins, "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY." Trying to keep his voice steady, Papyrus continues. "I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU. AND I STILL BELIEVE THAT..."

The human looks at him with a scornful expression. "You can't be serious," they chuckle, voice scratchy and distorted. "I  _killed_ everyone. And yet you still are stupid enough to think...do you even care that your brother is dead? I would've thought that you loved him enough to kill whoever murdered him. Guess you didn't."

"...HUMAN. I WANT TO HATE YOU. AND...A PART OF ME DOES. BUT...YOU DON'T NEED TO CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH. YOU DON'T HAVE TO."

The human looks bored, now picking the dirt out of their fingernails with their knife. But there's a flicker of unease now in their expression.

"I...CAN'T HATE YOU. YOU...I REMEMBER YOU. YOU WEREN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS. AND...I WASN'T ALWAYS LIKE THIS, EITHER. I DON'T WANT TO HURT YOU. BUT I HAVE HURT YOU, AND YOU'VE HURT ME. YOU HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO KILL ME SO FAR. AT SOME POINT, IF YOU KEEP GOING DOWN THIS ROUTE, YOU PROBABLY WILL. BUT YOU CAN BE BETTER. I BELIEVE IN YOU. I JUST WISH...I JUST WISH I...NEVERMIND. IT'S YOUR CHOICE, HUMAN. MAKE IT A GOOD ONE."

 

***RESET**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this already an AU? It's not quite Underswap, but there probably is a version like this already.


	99. i am who i am

**M** is for  **Mother**

 **F** is for  **Father**

 **S** is for  **Sister**

 **B** is for  **Brother.**

 

In kindergarten, the nice teacher with soft hands read a book to the class about families, about how all of them are different in their own unique way. 

Back then, you had a mother and Nana, and you hadn't even thought that you might be missing someone. But everyone else in your class had a dad. Tris' parents were divorced, but she still had a dad. Brandon had  _two_ dads, even. But you didn't have one.

You and Katie were the only ones who didn't have a dad, but she said he'd left a long, long time ago, and her mom said he was a cheating waste of space. Actually, Katie had said her mom had called her dad a bunch of really bad curse words after that, but the teacher stopped her before you could learn any good ones. 

It's not that you would have used them, even back then, talking had been difficult for you, so it's not like you would have gone around calling people bad names. 

 

 

You didn't even know if you  _had_ a dad in the first place. Even now, you're still not entirely sure, because adults keep giving you confusing information. Maybe grown ups don't actually know exactly where babies come in the first place, and they're just pretending so they don't feel dumb. Your nana said being an adult was all about looking like you knew what to do, while really you were just 'flying by the seat of your pants,' an expression she'd been fond of. 

 

Then both of you left Nana behind, and your family became smaller and more confusing. You had a mother, but what were you? 

People seemed to care about that last part a lot. 

Are you a boy or a girl?

If you were a bit better with your words, you would have asked them why they cared so much. Why it made a difference. Instead you just shrug every time, even though it seems to make people more confused or upset. 

You're Frisk. 

You like reptiles and ice cream and riding your bike. You hate mustard, wool sweaters, and bullies. 

There's a bunch of other stuff about you that's more important than gender. Like how you can touch your nose with your tongue, or raise one eyebrow if you hold the other one down with one finger. 

 

You've always wanted a sibling, but your mom just laughed in that grownup way that means never whenever you'd asked. 

When your mom was gone for hours and hours, you wished you had someone to play with. 

You know you had a twin, once. Your mom told you that once. You wonder where they went, and when they could come back.


	100. pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A look into the start of a pacifist run.
> 
> takes place in the same vein as chapter 98.

***LOAD**

Every day, Papyrus wakes up and checks his calendar. Last night he circled today's date in a bright, cheerful green marker, and it's still here! That means...

"BROTHER!" he shouts, springing out of bed, "TODAY'S THE DAY!"

Every time he sees Frisk, he tries to make his puzzles different each time, just so they don't get bored. And it works, sometimes! Okay, sometimes Frisk is a bit...well...

No matter! Today is a new day, full of endless possibilities! In fact, maybe he'll ever switch things up a bit. 

But how? 

Deciding to think about it later, Papyrus races out of his room, ready to see Frisk.

 

The great thing about his Battle Body is that it also functions as pajamas! So there's no need to get dressed, because he already is dressed! 

Despite knowing that Sans probably won't get up, he tries once more. "SANS! THE HUMAN WON'T BE HAPPY IF WE'RE LATE! I HAD TO SETTLE FOR GETTING THEM LEFTOVERS LAST TIME, AND I MADE A PROMISE TO MYSELF THAT I WOULD NEVER DISAPPOINT THEM AGAIN!"

This time, he decided to meet Frisk right by the door. Not only that, but, he made fresh spaghetti, still steaming from the pot. This will make up for that terrible incident that happened last time...hopefully.

Right on cue, the door opens! 

"HELLO FRISK!" He beams, giving them his best hero pose, all while making sure not to drop the plate. 

Frisk blinks up at him. They don't say anything, but that's normal, so he hands them the spaghetti. "I DECIDED TO MEET YOU HERE! ISN'T THIS A GREAT NEW TWIST? NEXT TIME, I MIGHT EVEN MAKE SOMETHING  _OTHER THAN SPAGHETTI!"_

Seeing their eyes widen, he ruffles their hair while reassuring Frisk, "ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL JAPE! DO NOT WORRY FRISK, I WILL NEVER SERVE YOU ANYTHING NEW, I KNOW YOU DON'T LIKE FOOD SURPRISES."

Frisk nods gratefully, a small smile on their face. 

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT? I KNOW THIS PART IS ALWAYS DIFFICULT. I KNOW IT MUST HURT, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES...WELL, LET'S TRY TO FIGURE THINGS OUT ONE STEP AT A TIME."

Frisk still hasn't touched their spaghetti. Suddenly he realizes...

"A FORK! I FORGOT TO GIVE YOU A FORK! NO WONDER YOU WERE SO CONFUSED. HERE, LET ME TAKE THIS BACK."

Papyrus puts the spaghetti in his inventory, where it will stay warm.

(Over a few runs, he's learned that the spaghetti trap isn't that effective, and now he just gives them spaghetti right away.)

Frisk takes his offered hand, and they take the path back to Sans' station. No doubt his brother is already there, fast asleep.

"YOU KNOW, FRISK, I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HE CAN GET PLACES SO FAST! I KNOW YOU SAID HE TOLD YOU THAT HE TAKES SHORTCUTS, BUT EVEN THEN, IT DOESN'T EXPLAIN ANYTHING! NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES I ASK, HE KEEPS DEFLECTING!" 

Papyrus sighs, then stops walking. Frisk tugs his hand gently, and he startles.

"SORRY, FRISK, I GUESS...I WAS LOST IN THOUGHT. FRISK..."

They point up at him, questioningly. "FRISK, I BELIEVE IN YOU, YOU KNOW THAT, RIGHT? I STILL BELIEVE IN YOU. BUT...AFTERWARDS, WE NEED TO TALK."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is this an already created AU? Does it have a name?  
> I know there's an AU called Underswap, but the only thing I switched was that Sans doesn't remember resets and Papyrus does.
> 
> I was thinking to myself, how would canon!Papyrus deal with resets and stuff? Would his perspective change over time?
> 
> I figured he would try and do his best to fix everything each time, make an impact even if he knows it probably won't matter.  
> So a bit more cynical, I guess. But in a lot of ways, Paps is still the same.


	101. rēˈbərTH

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gabriel and Scout go on a walk with Gabe's cat in the woods around Mt. Ebott.

***LOAD**

Gabriel and Scout are walking Gabe's cat, Dorito, when they find a guy standing at the base of the mountain, his back to them. The dude's barefoot, wearing a tattered white lab coat over a dark sweater and pants. Definitely not clothes you would wear if you were going on a hike.

Standing perfectly still, the guy looks like he's trying to become a literal statue. Hesitantly, Scout calls out, "Um, hello? Are you...okay?"

The man doesn't react at first. Then he tilts his head to the side. Gabriel, standing next to Scout, is mouthing the words,  _Are you INSANE?! Don't talk to SERIAL KILLERS!_

Scout rolls her eye. She's not an idiot, thank you very much. Twining around Gabe's legs, Dorito meows plaintively. The guy turns. He's tall, much taller than either of them, skin almost pale enough to be consider albino. Not only that, but the guy's super skinny, as though he hasn't had a proper meal in days.

In short, he looks like crap.

He also looks less like a serial killer from the front. Then again, some serial killers don't look like serial killers until it's too late. 

Running a hand through his dark hair, the guy says, "Umm...maybe? I don't know anymore. I can't remember how I got here..." 

"Do you want to borrow my cell phone?" Gabriel asks, but the guy shakes his head. 

"I don't have anyone I can call." 

When Dorito approaches him, both Scout and Gabe tense up at the same time, but the guy holds out his hand for the cat to sniff, before gently patting Dorito on his orange and white head. Dorito meows again, butting against his hand, clearly demanding more pets.

"Do you need help?" Gabe offers. "Are you lost? We can lead you out if you want."

"...Thank you."

Walking back, they learn that whoever this guy is, he seems to have very little memory of who he is or where he came from. The only thing he mentioned was that it was dark, a detail that wasn't really useful. He can't even remember his name.

***LOAD**

Gabriel and Scout are walking Gabe's cat, Dorito, when they find a guy standing at the base of the mountain, his back to them. The dude's barefoot, wearing a tattered white lab coat over a dark sweater and pants. Definitely not clothes you would wear if you were going on a hike. 

Holding a notebook and a pen, he's furiously scribbling down notes on the papers, hand practically flying at he writes.

Dorito meows. Turning around, the guy grins. "Oh, sorry to bother you." Then, looking down at his clothes, he says ruefully, "Probably not the best first impression you got of me. I understand."

Scout shakes her head, attempting to be polite. "It's cool. So, uh, what are you doing here?" 

Gabriel, standing next to Scout, is mouthing the words,  _Are you INSANE?! Don't talk to SERIAL KILLERS!_

The guy shrugs. "Honestly, I don't know."

"You...don't know?" Gabe's voice is incredulous. Scout raises both eyebrows in confusion.

"It doesn't really-"

***LOAD**

Gabe and Scout are walking Gabe's cat, Dorito, when they come across a stranger standing at the base of Mount Ebott. Dressed in hiking gear, the only unusual part of his outfit is the long lab coat he wears over it.

"Oh, hey," the stranger says. "Are you guys hikers as well?"

"Not really much of a hiker. Normally, the furthest I walk is from the TV to the fridge," Scout admits. "But Dorito needs fresh air, so I thought I'd come along. Anyway, I'm Scout and this is Gabe."

"Nice to meet you guys," the stranger says, smiling slightly. "You can call me Q."

"Like the letter?" Gabe asks.

"Yep."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is about a cat.  
> Oh, and time travel stuff.  
> But the cat is more important.


	102. snake discovery

**Assignment: Write a report on an animal of your choice.**

Legless Lizards and Snakes by Frisk

Legless lizards look like snakes but they are not snakes. Snakes don't have eyelids, they have eyecaps, which they shed along with their skin. Legless lizards have eyelids, so they can wink at you.

Also legless lizards don't have forked tongues so if it has a tongue with a fork in it it is a snake. But legless lizerds do have ear holes which means that they can hear better.But snakes aren't deaf even though they don't have ear holes which scientists just found out. 

Also legless lizards can regrow their tails and snakes can't.

I would like a legless lizard I would name him Pancake and he could be friends with my turtles and MK and we could all have a tea party together.

 

**_Two days later_ **

"uh...kiddo? you sure you're alright?" i ask, watching the rather big snake slither around frisk's shoulders. they beam excitedly, before signing

_This is Pancake._

_He is a legless lizard._

"pancake" winks at me.

i wink back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Frisk has another reptile friend!  
> Also, it's my goal now to make #danger noodles a real tag  
> lol
> 
> All snake and legless lizard facts are from this cool youtube channel called Snake Discovery. Check it out if you like reptiles.  
> Just watching a few videos now convinced me that snakes can be adorable.


	103. for the world is hollow and i have touched the sky

 ☟︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ❖︎♏︎❒︎⍓︎ ♎︎♓︎♐︎♐︎♏︎❒︎♏︎■︎⧫︎📪︎ ♐︎❒︎□︎❍︎ □︎■︎♏︎ ♋︎■︎□︎⧫︎♒︎♏︎❒︎📬︎

✌︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬧︎♋︎❍︎♏︎ ⧫︎♓︎❍︎♏︎📪︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ⬥︎♓︎♎︎♏︎●︎⍓︎ ♋︎♍︎♍︎♏︎◻︎⧫︎♏︎♎︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♒︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ❍︎♋︎♎︎♏︎ □︎♐︎ ❍︎♋︎♑︎♓︎♍︎📬︎ ✋︎♐︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎♓︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ♓︎■︎♎︎♏︎♏︎♎︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬧︎♋︎❍︎♏︎ ♋︎⬧︎ □︎◆︎❒︎⬧︎📪︎ ♓︎■︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎□︎❒︎⍓︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎⍓︎ ⬥︎□︎◆︎●︎♎︎ ♌︎♏︎ ♓︎♎︎♏︎■︎⧫︎♓︎♍︎♋︎●︎📬︎

☟︎□︎⬥︎♏︎❖︎♏︎❒︎📪︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ◻︎❒︎□︎❖︎♏︎⬧︎ ⧫︎□︎ ♌︎♏︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♍︎♋︎⬧︎♏︎🖴︎ ◆︎■︎●︎♓︎🙵♏︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎📪︎ ♋︎ ♒︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎🕯︎⬧︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ⬧︎♋︎⧫︎◆︎❒︎♋︎⧫︎♏︎♎︎ ⬥︎♓︎⧫︎♒︎ ♋︎ ⬧︎♓︎■︎♑︎●︎♏︎ ⧫︎❒︎♋︎♓︎⧫︎📪︎ ❍︎♏︎♋︎■︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎⍓︎ ♍︎♋︎■︎ □︎■︎●︎⍓︎ ■︎♋︎⧫︎◆︎❒︎♋︎●︎●︎⍓︎ ◻︎♏︎❒︎♐︎□︎❒︎❍︎ □︎■︎♏︎ ⧫︎⍓︎◻︎♏︎ □︎♐︎ ❍︎♋︎♑︎♓︎♍︎📬︎

👌︎♏︎♐︎□︎❒︎♏︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬥︎♋︎❒︎📪︎ ♓︎ ♒︎♋︎♎︎ ♋︎⬧︎⬧︎◆︎❍︎♏︎♎︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♎︎♓︎♐︎♐︎♏︎❒︎♏︎■︎♍︎♏︎ ♌︎♏︎⧫︎⬥︎♏︎♏︎■︎ ♒︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎ ⬥︎♋︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♐︎♋︎♍︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♒︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎⬧︎ ♋︎❒︎♏︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ❍︎♋︎♎︎♏︎ □︎♐︎ ❍︎♋︎♑︎♓︎♍︎📬︎  
  
♒︎□︎⬥︎♏︎❖︎♏︎❒︎📪︎ ❍︎⍓︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎□︎❒︎♓︎♏︎⬧︎ ❍︎♋︎⍓︎ ♒︎♋︎❖︎♏︎ ♌︎♏︎♏︎■︎ □︎■︎●︎⍓︎ ◻︎♋︎❒︎⧫︎♓︎♋︎●︎●︎⍓︎ ♍︎□︎❒︎❒︎♏︎♍︎⧫︎📬︎  
  
♋︎♐︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⬧︎⧫︎◆︎♎︎⍓︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♐︎♋︎●︎●︎♏︎■︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎📪︎ ♓︎ ♒︎♋︎❖︎♏︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎♓︎♍︎♏︎♎︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎⍓︎ ♍︎□︎■︎⧫︎♋︎♓︎■︎ ⬧︎♏︎♍︎□︎■︎♎︎♋︎❒︎⍓︎ ⧫︎❒︎♋︎♓︎⧫︎⬧︎ ♋︎●︎□︎■︎♑︎ ⬥︎♓︎⧫︎♒︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎♓︎❒︎ ◻︎❒︎♓︎❍︎♋︎❒︎⍓︎ ⧫︎❒︎♋︎♓︎⧫︎📬︎ ✌︎♌︎□︎❖︎♏︎ ♋︎●︎●︎📪︎ ♏︎♋︎♍︎♒︎ □︎■︎♏︎ □︎♐︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎ ♍︎□︎■︎⧫︎♋︎♓︎■︎⬧︎ ❖︎♋︎❒︎♓︎□︎◆︎⬧︎ ♋︎❍︎□︎◆︎■︎⧫︎⬧︎ □︎♐︎ ♎︎♏︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎❍︎♓︎■︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎📬︎

🏱︎♏︎❒︎♒︎♋︎◻︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ♎︎♓︎♐︎♐︎♏︎❒︎♏︎■︎♍︎♏︎ ♌︎♏︎⧫︎⬥︎♏︎♏︎■︎ ♒︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎⬧︎ ♋︎■︎♎︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ ♓︎⬧︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ♒︎◆︎❍︎♋︎■︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎⬧︎ ♍︎♋︎❒︎❒︎⍓︎ ⧫︎♒︎♏︎ ⧫︎❒︎♋︎♓︎⧫︎ ♎︎♏︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎❍︎♓︎■︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎📪︎ ⬧︎□︎❍︎♏︎⧫︎♒︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ⧫︎♒︎♋︎⧫︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎⬧︎ ●︎♋︎♍︎🙵📬︎  
  
♋︎■︎ ♋︎♎︎◆︎●︎⧫︎📪︎ □︎❒︎ ♏︎❖︎♏︎■︎ ♍︎♒︎♓︎●︎♎︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⬥︎□︎◆︎●︎♎︎ ■︎□︎⧫︎ ●︎♓︎🙵♏︎●︎⍓︎ ⬧︎◆︎❒︎❖︎♓︎❖︎♏︎ ♌︎♏︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♓︎■︎🙰♏︎♍︎⧫︎♏︎♎︎ ⬥︎♓︎⧫︎♒︎ ♎︎♏︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎❍︎♓︎■︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎📬︎  
  
♓︎⬧︎ ♓︎⧫︎ ◻︎□︎⬧︎⬧︎♓︎♌︎●︎♏︎ ⧫︎□︎ ♍︎❒︎♏︎♋︎⧫︎♏︎ ♋︎ ❍︎□︎■︎⬧︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎ ⬧︎□︎◆︎●︎ ♍︎□︎■︎⧫︎♋︎♓︎■︎♓︎■︎♑︎ ♎︎♏︎⧫︎♏︎❒︎❍︎♓︎■︎♋︎⧫︎♓︎□︎■︎✍︎

 

"What are you writing?"

"It's homework, duh. Wait...dang it, I must have stopped paying attention. Well, this is completely useless. Might as well start over."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ☟︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎❍︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎📬︎
> 
> ✋︎ ⬥︎□︎■︎♎︎♏︎❒︎ ⬥︎♒︎□︎ ⧫︎♒︎♓︎⬧︎ ♓︎⬧︎📬︎


	104. to this day

 

"What are you doing here, moron?" Flowey spits at you, scowling fiercely. "I told you before, I'm not him! You're just wasting your time!" 

Putting the pot down, you begin to sign, but then stop. "Didn't...come here for Asriel. Came for...you."

Flowey laughs. "You expect me to believe that? How stupid do you think I am?"

You shake your head, then sign

_You're my friend._

This sends Flowey into a rage. "I'M NOT YOUR FRIEND! I KILLED YOU! I KILLED EVERYONE! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? I DIDN'T FEEL  _ANYTHING_!"

You wait. 

Eventually, his screams die down. Glaring weakly at you, he grouchily says, "You're an idiot, you know that? You should have listened to me way back at the beginning. But fine, whatever, I don't care. Do what you want." 

You smile. He deliberately avoids eye contact.

 

Sans is waiting for you outside. "hey kiddo. see you got a little...friend there."

SInce you're holding the pot with Flowey inside, you can't sign. Instead you nod. Flowey bristles. 

"You didn't tell me that  _he_ was going to be here!" 

You look between the two. Sans grins. 

"ouch. you better be _leaf_ that i would have been hurt, if i hadn't known where your problems  _stem_ from." 

Even his wink seems forced.

"Be...nice," you manage to get out. 

"Whatever."

Sans smiles at you, and it seems real this time. "alright kiddo."

 

No one seems particularly happy to see Flowey except Papyrus.

"HELLO, FLOWER FRIEND! I'M GLAD TO SEE YOU'RE OKAY!"

Flowey actually smiles a little, and even though it doesn't look quite real, Papyrus either doesn't notice or chooses to ignore it. Most likely it's the second option.

"Howdy! It's nice to see you too, Papyrus!" 

As Papyrus cradles Flowey's pot, you think, not for the first time, that he's the only person besides you that can pick up Flowey's pot without being bitten. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So now Flowey joins the family! Only good times are ahead. Maybe. Hopefully.
> 
> Anyway, lately I've been trying to come with my own Undertale AU. Way harder than I already imagined. Thinking of a new one is kinding of like trying to find your car keys with Bing. 
> 
> There's just so MANY out there, and I'm resorting to dumb and dumber ideas.   
> For example, here is an idea that I almost wrote a chapter about: BOXTALE.   
> Every character is replaced by a cardboard box.   
> ...  
> If anyone can actually make that into a thing, that would be impressive. Especially if it was a serious fic. 
> 
> I was thinking, what makes an AU an AU? Is it the amount of changes made to the source material? When does something turn from canon divergence into an AU?


	105. double trouble pt. one

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two Papyruses, both alike in dignity.

Papyrus wakes up.This isn't unusual on it's own, he does, in fact, sleep occasionally. What's weird is that he's lying face down in the snow. 

How did he get here?

Standing up, he brushes the white powder off his Battle Body, looking around to see where he ended up. Did he sleepwalk here or something? He doesn't even remember falling asleep in the first place. 

"THAT'S NEW," he ponders.

"EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" a very familiar voice calls out from behind him.

Too familiar.

Whirling around, he sees...himself? 

"WHAT THE-" 

"WOWIE! I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE OTHER SKELETONS OUT THERE, ESPECIALLY ONES WITH ALMOST THE SAME STYLE!" His doppleganger beams. "MY NAME'S PAPYRUS. IT'S NICE TO MEET YOU!"

The other Papyrus looks exactly like him. The only difference is that this Papyrus' scarf isn't blue, but instead a bright shade of red. 

"THAT'S ODD...MY NAME'S PAPYRUS, TOO! DO YOU THINK...WE MIGHT BE LONG LOST TWINS?" he asks curiously. "IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE ANOTHER BROTHER, ESPECIALLY SINCE SANS IS GONE ALL THE TIME."

The red scarf Papyrus now looks even more surprised. "YOU HAVE A BROTHER NAMED SANS, TOO? WHAT A COINCIDENCE! I, TOO, ALSO HAVE A BROTHER NAMED SANS...ANYWAY, ARE YOU VISITING SNOWDIN?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I'VE ALWAYS LIVED IN SNOWDIN." He can't keep the confusion out of his voice. "DO YOU...CAN YOU TAKE ME TO SEE YOUR BROTHER, OTHER PAPYRUS?"

"SURE!" 

 

As the other Papyrus takes him through town, he can't help but notice that it isn't the same as when he last left it. And not just small changes, either, there are entire houses in the wrong spots. Not only that, but when he passes the Library, the sign is now misspelled. 

Their house, however, is exactly the same. "COME IN!", the other Papyrus says, and he follows behind. The first thing he sees is...his brother, fast asleep on the couch. Sans is never home at this time. Not only that, but he's wearing a blue sweatshirt, not his usual orange one, and there's no lab coat in sight. Usually his brother just tosses it on the ground right next to him when he wants to take a nap on the sofa. 

"BROTHER!" The red scarf Papyrus shouts, "I FOUND SOMEONE WHO LOOKS JUST LIKE ME! HE SAYS HIS NAME IS ALSO PAPYRUS!"

Sans sits up lazily. As soon as he lays eyes on both of them, his eyelights disappear for a few seconds. "...is it me, or am i having double vision?" 

"SANS! I NEVER KNEW WE HAD ANOTHER BROTHER!"

"me neither. say...'papyrus'...does anything seem odd about the town or the monsters in it?"

"YES, HOW DID YOU KNOW?"

"just a hunch. could feel it _in my bones._ " Just to be even more annoying, he winks. 

"UGH! SANS!" Both of them shout at the same time. 

Sans sits up, holding out a hand for him to shake. Papyrus examines the hand carefully, and spots a well-hidden whoopie cushion, but pretends not to notice.

"I FEEL LIKE THIS MIGHT BE A TRAP, BUT I'LL GO FOR IT ANYWAY!" 

Reaching out, he shakes his not-brother's hand. Sure enough, the familiar farting sound is made. The other Papyrus scolds Sans, "BROTHER! STOP GIVING THE OTHER ME TRUST ISSUES!", while Sans snickers. Papyrus rolls his eyelights, but is secretly relieved that Sans hasn't changed at all.  

 

It doesn't take that long for Papyrus to realize that this Sans is very different from his own Sans. While the other Papyrus makes spaghetti (he'd tried to help out, but both insist that he's the guest and doesn't need to,) he and the other Sans sit on the couch together. 

"I WAS SURPRISED TO SEE YOU," Papyrus comments, "USUALLY AT THIS TIME MY BROTHER IS AT THE LAB." Upon seeing the other Sans' confused expression, Papyrus adds, "HE'S THE ROYAL SCIENTIST. IS THIS DIFFERENT IN YOUR WORLD?"

"can't imagine myself as a scientist, seems like a lot of hard work. besides, i've always been a lazybones. is your sans more energetic?"

Papyrus considers the question. "I DON'T KNOW. HE LIKES TAKING TIME OFF, BUT NOT WHEN HE'S WORKING ON A BIG PROJECT."

"huh. doesn't really sound like me too much. the most effort i put into something is walking from the tv to the fridge."

"SANS, DON'T LIE TO MY OTHER SELF! YOU JUST TAKE YOUR 'SHORTCUTS' EVERYWHERE! THAT DOESN'T EVEN COUNT AS EXERCISE!"

Shortcuts? "YOU KNOW SOME SECRET WAY AROUND THE UNDERGROUND? WOWIE!" 

"nah, not really, but sort of i guess." Sans slouches further into the sofa, almost sliding off entirely. Papyrus keeps an eye socket out for him to make sure he doesn't actually fall off. 

"THAT EXPLAINS NOTHING AND EVERYTHING AT THE SAME TIME." he says. "SO, YOU AREN'T A SCIENTIST THEN?"

"nah. used to be, but that didn't last very long. wasn't really interested in it. i suppose that was a divergent point, you know? something that makes your universe different from mine."

"THAT MAKES SENSE."

 

Dinner turns out to be delicious, sort of. It's not _that_ bad. Papyrus can't help but wonder what his own food tastes like. The other Papyrus still adds glitter to his spaghetti, something he hasn't done in a while. He can't remember exactly when he learned it wasn't edible for humans, but ever since then he tried his best to avoid ingredients that would make either Frisk or Chara sick. Sometimes Chara even smiles when eating his spaghetti. 

Before dinner, both him and Papyrus agreed to have nicknames. Since he's in their world, however, he insisted that the other be called Papyrus while he would stick to Paps. "MY BROTHER CALLS ME THAT, SOMETIMES," he'd explained to the red scarf Papyrus.

 

"ARE YOU ALSO TRAINING TO BE A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL GUARD?" he asks Papyrus. 

"YES! ANY DAY NOW, I'M SURE I'LL BECOME A MEMBER. ALL I NEED TO DO IS PROVE MYSELF BY CATCHING A HUMAN!"

"THEY'RE DIFFICULT TO CATCH," Paps agrees, adding, "WHY DON'T WE SHARE TIPS?"

"YOU MEAN YOU'VE SEEN A HUMAN?" Papyrus' eyes sparkle with excitement.

Does his own eyes do that too?

"YES, OF COURSE! WAIT..." Something about what the other Papyrus said sounded weird, but he can't quite put a finger bone on it.

"bro?"

"OTHER ME- I MEAN, PAPS?"

Shaking his head, Paps shrugs. "NEVERMIND, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a fashion change AU?  
> Depends on how you look at it.


	106. a poem is like a radio that can broadcast continuously for thousands of years

*You find a cassette tape. Play it?

*Yes   *No

*Yes

 

_**whiirrrrr** _

_**whirrrrr** _

**???: ....tonight we have a special guest. Meet Thomas Lysander, author of the well-known historical novel, _The Fallen Mage._ How are you doing today, Tom?**

**Tom: I'm doing good, Bill, thanks for having me here.**

**Bill: So, your book takes place after the War between Monsters and Humans, through various perspectives. What inspired you to write about this?**

**Tom: Well, I've always been interested in the stories that happened after the War had ended. Because-because, well, not everyone saw it as a victory. A lot of people thought from the start that the war had been unnecessary to begin with, and that opinion only grew stronger the longer the war lasted.**

**And it wasn't as simple as saying it was between humans and monsters, either. Even back then, there had been this divide between mages and, well, regular people. While the war was going on, people started to get a first-hand glimpse of the extent of damage that can be caused by a single mage, and they started to think, _"Hey, what if they decide to turn on us next?"_**

**Bill: Do you think they were right in being afraid?**

**Tom: Honestly, I don't know.**

**Bill: Then there is, of course, is the most controversial part of the book. For those of you who don't know, there's a part written where a woman gets married to a monster, has a child together, only to lose her husband during the War. What was the general response you got?**

**Tom: Oh, boy. Well, there was a lot of people saying it was inappropriate, that the relationship was inappropriate, stuff like that. There were a lot of angry letters, especially when I said that a third of the population most likely has some monster DNA within them.**

**We do know that there are graves with human and monster remains- although monsters didn't leave behind any physical bodies, only dust, their dust is unlike anything else- so we know that when you see the body of a human as well as a jar containing monster dust, then the two had some form of relationship with one another, whether it be platonic or something more.**

**Bill: Well folks, we're about to hit that halfway point, so it's time for a quick break. You'll be hearing from us...after these messages.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The double trouble series may take a while, I plan on focusing a lot more on it. In the meantime, I'll keep posting normal shorts.


	107. double trouble (interlude)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A glimpse into the universe that the blue scarf Papyrus came from.  
> 

**LOAD**

 

Today's the day. Papyrus knows it, can feel it in his  _bones_ , a pun he'll never admit to have thought of to Sans. He can't remember what exactly is going to happen, but he does know that at one point he did. 

"NO MATTER! I SHALL FIGURE IT OUT ALONG THE WAY!" 

The important thing he knows when it comes to this sort of thing, is to trust his instincts. And his instincts tell him to make an even bigger batch of spaghetti than he normally does. 

"SANS! WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR WORK!" Papyrus calls from outside his brother's room, rapping on the door lightly.

Sans groans, mumbles something that sounds like, "i'm up, i'm up," so Papyrus leaves him be, and heads downstairs to the kitchen. 

He pulls out the lunch box he had made for his brother the night before, settling it gently on the counter. 

From the shuffling of slippers on the stairs, Sans is now awake and out of bed. Stumbling into the kitchen, the smaller skeleton yawns, "good morning, paps. gotta leave early today, thanks for waking me up." . 

"NO TROUBLE AT ALL, BROTHER!"

 _"tibia_ honest, i probably would have slept through the entire morning."

"SANS, DON'T RUINS THIS HEARTFELT MOMENT WITH YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS! BESIDES, YOU KEEP REUSING THE SAME ONES OVER AND OVER AGAIN!"

Taking a swig of his favorite condiment, Sans remarks, "guess i need to  _ketch-up_ on getting new material."

"SANS."

"you're smiling."

"I KNOW, AND IT'S THE WORST!"

"so, how's guard duty been going?"

"VERY WELL! BUT I'LL TELL YOU MORE AFTER YOUR SHIFT."

"okay, okay. see you later, paps." Sans says as he grabs the lunch bag and heads out.

"HAVE A NICE DAY!"

 

The first thing Papyrus does is check and reset all of his puzzles, making note of which ones he used this time. 

(Variety is very important, after all.)

He visits Sans' former station, which no longer exists- the only thing remaining is an oddly shaped lamp- and heads to the bridge for his final stop before he'll loop around. 

Calling it a bridge is a bit of a stretch; there's a few boards that extend on both sides, but nothing else. It's impossible to leap across, even for him. So instead he concentrates, takes an unnecessary breath and 

_l e a p s_

landing neatly on the other side.

He really should fix the bridge at some point. He's done it before, after all.

Maybe some other time. 

 

Then, the crunch of footprints on snow. It sounds...familiar. He almost drops the spaghetti, fumbling with it before getting a better grip on the plastic tupperware. 

The footsteps stop suddenly.

"HELLO? IS ANYONE THERE? I MADE SPAGHETTI!" he calls out. When there is no response, he continues, "VERY WELL, I WILL BE OFF, BUT OH NO! I MADE TOO MUCH SPAGHETTI! I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT HERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE HERE." 

The footsteps start up again. Now he can see what looks like a small child, shivering in the cold. They hesitantly walk towards him, and Papyrus smiles, trying not to scare them off. "HELLO! MY NAME IS PAPYRUS. YOU MUST BE..."

"..."

The child stops a couple feet away from him, glancing at him warily. 

(There's something familiar in their expression.)

"...'m Frisk."

"WOULD YOU LIKE SOME SPAGHETTI, FRISK?"

Frisk looks at the tupperware, and shrugs.  

"PERHAPS LATER." 

 

**LOAD**

 

"SANS! WAKE UP! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE FOR WORK!" Papyrus calls from outside his brother's room, rapping on the door lightly.

Sans groans, mumbles something that sounds like, "i'm up, i'm up," so Papyrus leaves him be, and heads downstairs to the kitchen. 

He pulls out the lunch box he had made for his brother the night before, settling it gently on the counter. 

From the shuffling of slippers on the stairs, Sans is now awake and out of bed. Stumbling into the kitchen, the smaller skeleton yawns, "good morning, paps. gotta leave early today, thanks for waking me up." . 

"JUST DOING MY BROTHERLY DUTIES!"

 _"tibia_ honest, i probably would have slept through the entire morning."

"SANS, DON'T RUINS THIS HEARTFELT MOMENT WITH YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS! BESIDES, YOU KEEP REUSING THE SAME ONES OVER AND OVER AGAIN!"

Taking a swig of his favorite condiment, Sans remarks, "guess i need to  _ketch-up_ on getting new material."

"SANS."

"you're smiling."

"I KNOW, AND I HATE IT!"

"so, how's guard duty been going?"

"IT'S BEEN GOING ALRIGHT. BUT YOU BETTER GET TO WORK!"

"okay, okay. see you later, paps." Sans says as he grabs the lunch bag and heads out.

"HAVE A NICE DAY!"

 

The first thing Papyrus does is check and reset all of his puzzles, making note of which ones he used this time. 

(Never use the same trick twice.)

He visits Sans' former station, which no longer exists- the only thing remaining is an oddly shaped lamp- and heads to the bridge for his final stop before he'll loop around. 

Calling it a bridge is a bit of a stretch; there's a few boards that extend on both sides, but nothing else. It's impossible to leap across, even for him. So instead he concentrates, takes an unnecessary breath and 

_l e a p s_

landing neatly on the other side.

 

Fixing the bridge every time has started to become a hassle. But if he doesn't do it, then he might as well have given up, so HE WILL DO IT! Just not right now. 

 

Then, there is the sound of footsteps crunching on the snow. "HELLO?", he calls out in the direction of the sound.

The footsteps stop suddenly.

"HELLO? IS ANYONE THERE? I MADE SPAGHETTI!" he calls out. When there is no response, he continues, "VERY WELL, I WILL BE OFF, BUT OH NO! I MADE TOO MUCH SPAGHETTI! I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO LEAVE IT HERE FOR SOMEONE ELSE WHO MAY OR MAY NOT BE HERE." 

The footsteps start up again. Now he can see what looks like a small child, shivering in the cold. They hesitantly walk towards him, and Papyrus smiles, trying not to scare them off. "HELLO! MY NAME IS PAPYRUS. YOU MUST BE..."

They don't say anything at all. 

He holds out a hand, and they take it, hesitantly. 

"...'m Chara."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> maybe one day I'll write down my entire outline for this, and then you guys can let me know if this is an already taken AU or not.
> 
> one fun thing i like doing is thinking of AU's, checking online, and finding that someone else thought of it first. i'm resorting to dumber ideas just to be original.  
> like boxtale, where everyone is a cardboard box.   
> sometimes ideas sound smart in your head until you get it down on paper.


	108. i'd like to make myself believe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two cool dudes have a conversation.

"SANS!"

"yeah, bro?"

"I'M...WORRIED ABOUT YOU. YOU DON'T SEEM...LIKE YOURSELF."

"don't wear yourself _down to the bone_ , paps. being lazy is just my default setting. you know that as well as i do."

"SANS! YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT! YOU BARELY EVEN WALK ANYMORE, AND IF I WASN'T HERE YOU'D PROBABLY LIE IN BED ALL DAY!"

"sorry about that, i guess i'm getting  _tired_ of work."

"SANS, IS THAT A TIRE?"

"yep."

"SANS!"

"hey, why don't we go to grillby's? my treat. you don't have to eat anything, i know you hate the food."

"NORMALLY I WOULD NEVER GO NEAR SUCH A GREASE TRAP, BUT, JUST THIS ONCE, I WILL GO WITH YOU."

"carry me?"

"SANS....FINE." 

 

"thanks for taking me here, bro. maybe we could make this a daily thing."

"NO PROBLEM! HOWEVER, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WHERE I ENABLE YOUR TERRIBLE EATING HABITS."

"welp, i had to  _fry._ "

"SANS."

 

When the skeleton brothers head home, they leave an untouched burger and fries behind.


	109. photo gallery (frisk's animal friends)

  

Name: Pancake

Species: Legless Lizard

Likes: Being held, warm places, and the smell of soap.

Dislikes: Carpeted areas, and getting wet. 

 

Name: Verdana

Species: Red-Ear Slider

Fun Fact: Likes to play with yarn.

Favorite Food: Strawberries.

Name: Andalus

Species: Brown Wood Turtle

Favorite color: Pink

Fun Fact: Will only eat vegetables.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> coming soon: sneks
> 
> also I found another person who used the tag #danger noodles  
> #makedangernoodlesarealtag #howdohashtagsworkwhenthewordsaresocloseyoucan'treadthem


	110. in which sans doesn't play by the rules

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why do seagulls fly over the sea?

On a nice summer day, you and Monster Kid are playing hide and seek in the backyard. You invited Flowey to join in earlier, but he hadn't seemed interested, so you let him be.

From outside, you can hear the TV, faintly playing  _Friends with Sharp Weapons_ _,_ a show that Mom doesn't like you watching because of all the violence. Flowey adores that show, and is usually in a better mood after watching it. He does tend to bite people a bit more, though, but they don't pierce the skin so you think it's his way of showing love or something. 

There are a lot of good places to hide in Toriel's backyard. However, the one fatal flaw in your plans emerges just a few minutes after you start playing.

"Yo! This isn't as fun with just two of us!" Monster Kid complains, after he spent nearly half an hour trying to find you. "We need to get more people!"

You nod in agreement. 

Time to recruit. 

"How 'bout Papyrus?" Monster Kid suggests, wriggling with excitement at the thought of seeing his idol. "You know where he is?"

You think for a moment.

It's Sunday, so...

_He should be home soon, his gardening club has just ended._

"Sweet! Who else could we get?"

_Mom might join if we ask. She might be busy with grading, though._

 

Turns out your mom isn't too busy after all. "It would be lovely to play a game of hide and seek, I haven't done anything like that since..." her voice trails off. Then, she smiles. "Well, it is always a fun game to play with friends and family. I may be a be rusty, though."

"I got it!" Monster Kid shouts. "You said Papyrus is at his gardening club? Well what if you text him and ask him to bring along the other members? That way we can get more people a lot faster!"

For a moment, you think you see a shadow pass over your mom's face. "Well, the more the merrier."

 

 **frisky** **business: hey papyrus we r having a game of hide'nseeks u wanna join with our garden friends?**

**CoolestDude: SOUNDS EXCELLENT! HANG ON, LET ME ASK OUR FELLOW CLUB MEMBERS!**

**CoolestDude: THEY SAID YES!!!!!!!!! :D ALSO I PERSUADED SANS TO PLAY AS WELL.**

**friskybusiness: rlly?? how?**

**CoolestDude: WITH MY SECRET WEAPON!**

**friskybusiness: wat's that?**

**CoolestDude: BROTHERLY GUILT!**

**CoolestDude: :D**

**CoolestDude: HE DID SAY HE WAS ONLY GOING TO DO THE HIDING PART, THOUGH...BUT I'LL TAKE IT!**

**friskybusiness: is dad comnig?**

**CoolestDude: UNFORTUNATELY, NO. HE SAYS HE IS BUSY, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO PUSH HIM ANY FURTHER.**

**friskybusiness: u mean FURther?**

**Coolest Dude: >:(**

 

Papyrus shows up five minutes later, carrying Sans under one arm. "HELLO!" 

Sans lazily waves. "yo."

Monster Kid bounds up to Papyrus, chattering a mile a minute. "...and I've been practicing summoning a weapon, and I think I almost got it!" Concentrating hard, you can see his eyes are glowing a pale green, before he is enveloped in a soft green light. Then the light wavers, and quickly vanishes. 

His tail droops. "I almost had it!" 

"WOWIE! YOU'RE LEARNING FAST!" Papyrus beams, giving MK a thumbs up using his free arm. "YOU MUST BE TRAINING REALLY HARD!" Placing Sans on the ground, he turns to his brother. "SANS! TAKE NOTES!"

"sure thing, bro." 

A voice calls out, "Hey, are you guys in the back?" The screen door opens, and the three human members of the garden club step out- Gabe, Scout, and Q. 

Scout waves, a grin stretching across her freckled face. "Haven't played a game like this in a while, thanks for inviting us Frisk!" 

Sans grins. "seems like all of our  _buds_ are here." 

Papyrus looks like he's about to refrain himself from groaning, and Gabe mutters something that sounds like,  _"You've already used this joke ten times already."_

Q faintly smiles, dark eyes crinkling at the corners. 

Scout snickers, though she seems more amused at the others' reactions rather than the actual pun itself. 

 

"so, uh...how do you want this game to  _play_ out? we could have one seeker, and whenever they find someone, they have to join the seeker as well."

"Sounds alright," Scout says, and you nod.

"It seems as though everyone is in agreement," Toriel notes, taking a glance around at the group. "Who would like to be the seeker, first?"

"Wait," Gabe interrupts, "how about some ground rules? Like...no going inside or something? Or leaving the backyard?"

"That sounds fair. As for the seeking, is there anyone who would like to be first? If not, I can take the position."

When no one volunteers, mom nods. "Alright. I shall close my eyes, and give you all sixty seconds to hide. When you are are ready...Go!"

Everyone takes off in different directions. Sans, though, walks at a more sedate pace. You see him go behind a tree, then vanish. 

You head towards a clump of tall grass near the fence, and crouch behind it. Papyrus has chosen a spot on top of a tree, his red scarf making him visible to anyone looking up. Gabe seems to have crawled inside the tube slide.

You can't see the others, though. 

When Toriel finishes counting, you duck down even further. 

"I found you!" Toriel calls out, and you hear Scout mutter, "Guess hiding right behind you wasn't a good idea."

"I could hear you breathing."

"Really? Darn."

Papyrus is the next one found, although his discovery was by sheer bad luck- one of his boots slipped off and conked Scout right on the head. Luckily, she wasn't injured seriously, and the small bruise was easily healed with some green magic.

"HMMM..." Papyrus ponders out loud. "I SUPPOSE I SHOULD CHECK THE PLAY AREA, PERHAPS SOMEONE IS HIDDEN THERE." Dramatically, he circles the entire playground. "I GUESS I WAS WRONG, THERE ISN'T ANYONE HERE, MIGHT AS WELL GO SOMEWHERE ELSE." Although he is clearly overacting, as soon as he turns around, you see MK's head poke out from the slide. Swiveling around, Papyrus points his hand at the foiled MK. 

"AHA! I HAVE FOUND YOU!" 

When MK slides down, Gabe follows. "WOWIE! TWO FOR ONE!"

 

Eventually, the only one left is Sans. "BROTHER! YOU HAVE PROVEN YOURSELF TO BE THE VICTOR! COME OUT AND RECEIVE YOUR AWARD!"

Nothing happens. Papyrus slumps. "LOOKS LIKE MY ATTEMPT AT DRAWING HIM OUT FAILED." 

"I suppose he is truly a master at this game," Toriel admits. 

"Yeah," Gabe sighs, "how long have we been trying to find him anyway?" 

"Feels like forever," Monster Kid groans, flopping onto the grass. 

Then, a quiet voice pipes up. "He's not that good," Q mutters. "He's cheating."

"What do you mean?" Toriel asks curiously. 

"He's not outside. He's in the kitchen cabinet. The second one to the left."

Papyrus rushes inside. "BROTHER! I THOUGHT WE ALL AGREED TO STAY OUTSIDE!"

You follow Papyrus into the house, and see the top cabinet contains a (clearly pretending to be sleeping) Sans. "BROTHER!" Papyrus complains. 

Sans hops down onto the counter. "welp, you got me. do i still win the award?"

"SANS!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because if they flew over the bay, they'd be....BAYgulls!


	111. in which sans bends the rules

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans has been revealed as a dirty cheater. What a surprise.  
> Time for a rematch, and this time, Sans has promised to follow the rules.

Papyrus scowls at his brother, using his Very Serious Voice. "SANS! WHY MUST YOU ALWAYS CHEAT IN ORDER TO KEEP BEING LAZY?"

You giggle as he stamps his foot in exaggerated rage. 

Sans winks at you, before saying, "c'mon, why don't we have a rematch. i promise on my brotherly honor that i won't hide inside."

An idea strikes you. 

_No going outside the boundaries, either._

"promise i'll stay within the boundaries."

 

"Alright," Toriel begins, "would anyone like to be the seeker this time?"

Q raises a hand. "Wonderful!" Toriel exclaims. 

"GOOD LUCK, TALL HUMAN!"

"I'll stand against the fence wall and count to sixty. Then I'll start looking. That okay?"

"Sure," Scout says. 

"THAT SOUNDS REASONABLE."

"Alright. Ready...set...go!" With that, Q turns and faces the fence, placing his hands over his eyes. "Sixty...fifty-nine...fifty-eight..."

Everyone takes off in various directions. You head towards a medium sized shrub, and push yourself inside. From this position, you can see Sans, actually following the rules, perched on the higher branches of a tree. He must have taken one of his 'shortcuts,' because there's no way he would climb that high willingly. 

"...one! Okay, here I come!"

It doesn't take long before Papyrus is found. "CURSES! FOILED AGAIN!" 

(Apparently, he had climbed onto the roof, hoping that Q wouldn't look up.) 

"So, where should we look next?"

"THE TREES MIGHT BE A GOOD PLACE TO START! LET'S GO THROUGH AND CHECK EVERY SINGLE ONE!"

Turns out a lot of others had the same idea, too. MK and Scout were found among the lower branches (she'd been pulling MK up with her and they hadn't had any time to climb further.)

Toriel's chosen spot behind a hedge was a good choice, but her feet stuck out on one of the sides, giving away her position. She found the whole thing hilarious, commenting, "I suppose that means I wasn't up to this  _feet_."

To your disappointment, you're discovered next. When you look up to where Sans is hiding, you see that he is no longer there, and you assume he's further up the tree.

The only ones left are Gabe and Sans. 

Then MK trips over Gabe, who was lying flat in some tall grass. He'd been wearing green, so he had blended in perfectly. 

 

When you point to the tree that Sans is hiding in, Q shakes his head. "He's not there."

"HUMAN Q? ARE YOU SURE ABOUT THIS? THERE ARE A LOT OF LEAVES AND FOLIAGE, HE COULD BE HIDING IN A VERY GOOD PLACE."

Q shrugs. "He moved. But you can check, if you want."

Papyrus does. "DRAT! SANS ISN'T HERE! FRISK! ARE YOU SURE HE WAS IN THIS TREE?"

_Yes._

"MAYBE HE MOVED WHEN YOU WEREN'T LOOKING?"

You nod. 

_That makes sense._

MK asks, "Do you think he cheated again?"

"HE WOULDN'T HAVE! HE PROMISED NOT TO CHEAT THIS TIME! BUT...PERHAPS IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR SOME OF YOU TO CHECK INSIDE THE HOUSE."

Toriel, MK, and Scout head indoors to continue the search. Meanwhile, you, Q, Gabe, and Papyrus continue looking outside. You crawl under the open space beneath the porch, but Sans isn't there, and you emerge covered in dirt. You sigh, because now mom is going to make you take a bath tonight.

You hate baths.

Papyrus is leaving no stone unturned, literally. Q walks to several different trees, but before he reaches any of them he stops, shakes his head, and goes on to the next tree. After a few rounds of this, he finally says, "I give up. Sans wins again." 

"I SUPPOSE YOU ARE RIGHT. SANS? YOU HAVE WON! AGAIN. ONLY THIS TIME FOR REAL."

"see? i told you i could do it."

Sans is in the same tree you first saw him in, a smug look on his face. "do i win the trophy now?"

"...FINE."

(Turns out Papyrus actually had a small trophy with him the entire time.)

 

Toriel invites everyone in for pie. Papyrus leads the way, followed by Gabe and then Sans. When they're all in, a thought occurs to you. Stopping, you tug on Q's arm. 

_Why did you give up?_

Q shrugs. "He kept moving. Dunno how he did it, but he moved from one tree to another without making a sound. He was in every single tree I approached, but he would vanish whenever I got close. So I gave up. Wasn't worth the effort."

 

Mom made her famous butterscotch and cinnamon pie. You and MK sit next to each other, and you nudge him with your shoulder.  _Wanna have a pie eating contest?_

"You're on!"

Meanwhile, Scout takes a bite out of the pie. "Wish I could taste this, but my taste buds don't really work. Never have."

 

(It isn't until much later that you remember Scout scarfing down platefuls of Papyrus' spaghetti, and now you get why Gabe found it so funny.)


	112. time to grow (underfell edition)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite everything, it's still you.  
> Even when it's your doppelganger from another universe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What time is it?  
> Underfell time!

The Great and Terrible Papyrus is not a coward who avoids fights, but he is smart enough to know when fighting isn't worth it.

And when it comes to stealthiness, no one is quite as good as him. And right now, he's employing his ninja tactics, sneaking into the house under the cover of shadows. 

Making sure to avoid the second porch step (it creaks), he quietly opens the door and slips inside. Made it.

The house is quiet, and most of the lights are off, so Sans is probably sleeping. Under normal circumstances, he would barge straight up and force his lazy brother up, but this time Sans' laziness is to his advantage. 

Creeping into the kitchen, shoe box tightly in his hands, he tip toes across the tiled floor. 

Then the light switch flicks on.

Papyrus certainly does not squeak in surprise, nor does he whirl around in fright. Instead, he calmly and rationally turns around to face his brother.

"uh...boss? what are you  _skull_ king around for?" Sans' browbone is halfway raised as he stares at Papyrus, clearly wondering about his unusual behavior.

Darn it. Maybe Sans won't notice the box...

No such luck. "what'cha got there, bro?"

Using his trademark scowl, Papyrus says in a sarcastic voice, "IT'S A CARDBOARD BOX. WHAT ELSE WOULD IT BE?"

There was a time where Sans would have let that slide, but now..."no, i mean, what's in the box?" 

**_QUICK, THINK OF SOMETHING BELIEVABLE!_ **

"...DRUGS."

_**NAILED IT!** _

"drugs." Sans repeats, his voice deadpan. 

"DIDN'T YOU HEAR ME THE FIRST TIME? I TOLD YOU, IT'S DRUGS. I'M GOING TO DO THE DRUGS. ALL OF THEM. YES. THE DRUGS. RIGHT HERE. BECAUSE I AM AN ADULT WHO CAN DO THE DRUGS. BY MYSELF. SO I'M GOING TO GO...DO THE DRUGS."

Turning around quickly, he is foiled when Sans grabs his arm. 

"yeah, sure. doing 'the' drugs. pass it over." 

Papyrus hands over the box, but it's because he  _wants_ to, and not because Sans can be scary when he's mad. The Great and Terrible Papyrus is the best at fighting, but Sans...well, Sans is something different. 

 

Sans opens the lid, and stares inside. Just as he suspected.

"bro, you can't keep doing this. we're going to run out of space." 

Inside the box, four kittens sleep curled together, so small that their ears haven't opened yet. 

"NONSENSE! THEY'RE SMALL, HOW CAN THEY TAKE UP THAT MUCH SPACE? BESIDES, THEY WILL BE HERE ONLY UNTIL THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES."

"that's what you said before about the penguins. and the orphan llamas. and pretty much every animal you've ever brought here."

"I MEAN IT THIS TIME! DON'T YOU TRUST MY WORD, BROTHER? I, THE GREAT AND HONORABLE PAPYRUS, NEVER-"

"never?" Sans sounds skeptical.

"USUALLY DON'T, BREAK MY PROMISES. DON'T YOU HAVE ANY FAITH IN ME?"

"nope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Underfell is another AU that I find interesting. There are a lot of different interpretations of it, so it was kind of freeing in some aspects.  
> Here's a brief summary of my interpretation: in the Underground, the most dangerous monsters don't need to act tough or scary, because everyone knows not to mess with them.  
> Most of all, any monster with high LV wouldn't dare mess with Sans, because the damage he deals out gets stronger and stronger with each LV his opponent has.  
> And since no one has a LV of 0, his attacks are always stronger than they would normally be.  
> That's basically what went through my mind as I was writing this, but I cut it because I didn't want to just write a whole lot of exposition.


	113. a glitch in the system

the world freezes around us, like someone hit the pause button on the TV, and now both of us are frozen in mid-action. i can't move at all, and judging from the murderous expression on the kid's face, they're stuck too. at least i'm standing in a normal position, they're caught in midair, a backwards trip over a bone attack that was a second away from striking them.

heh. 

"looks like we're freeze framed here, kiddo," i say, and they scowl at me, dark and murderous. 

"Don't call me kiddo," the human finally says, voice almost as low as a whisper. "You aren't talking to me, anyway." 

"uh...sure,  **kiddo** , i'm pretty certain you and i are the only ones around here. unless you think i'm talking to myself or something."

"..."

"you know, while we're here, we should have a  **c h a t**. friends do that, right? of course, i don't suppose you know the answer yourself, given that everyone is...well, you have a bad track record with making friends."

"Shut up."

"i don't think i will. after all, we've got time to  _ **kill**_ , might as well make the most of it."

The human's face has gone blank. "Your puns are awful."

"i disagree, i think they're  _ **to die for.**_ " 

 

 

"so...uh...you're still sticking with this? not going to start over?"

"..."

"cause i think we're both  _ **stuck**_ at an impasse. might as well give up now. cut your losses. try again. that's what you do, right?"

They grin, sharp and feral. "Maybe I'm keeping us here because I want to hurt you. I want you to hear how I killed everyone without feeling anything, that I'm proud of the dust staining my hands. I want to-"

" **s h u t** **u p"**

the human laughs, shrill and mocking, and if i wasn't stuck they'd be dead where they stand. 

 

for a long time afterwards, there is silence. it almost would be peaceful, if not for the persistent itch above my left eye socket. 

the human is humming something underneath their breath.

it sounds like a lullaby.

 

"i spy with my little eye...a murderer."

"So, yourself, then."

"very funny, kiddo."

"I told you not to call me that."

"you think i'm not going to use this opportunity to make you suffer a little bit?"

"I hate you."

"looks like we've got something in common, then."

 

"you know, it's been like, hours? days? and you're still here. even if this was meant to annoy me, it's not like you aren't stuck as well."

"..."

"something's keeping you from starting over, huh?"

"No. I can start over whenever I want. I just don't want to."

"or maybe you're not in control after all."

"Shut up!" they yell furiously, and i grin. 

"looks like i hit the nail on the head."

"You're stupid," the human says petulantly. "You don't care about anyone, not really. You let your brother _die_! Why don't you do anything!"

" **d o n ' t  t a l k  a b o u t  p a p y r u s."**

"Why not? You failed just as much as I did! I thought you said you were better than me, but you let your brother  _die_ and didn't even bother! At least I tried!"

"...what."

"Nothing!" they blurt out, and i study their face for a second. 

"you had a brother."

"Have."

"have?"

"Have."

"...so you left him alive then."

"Shut up! You don't know anything!"

"neither do you."

 

" _I managed all, brought all to mind/ The years to come seemed waste of breath/ A waste of breath the years behind/ In balance with this life, this death._ "

"sure have a way with words, don't you, kiddo?"

"Stop making fun of me."

"hmmmm...lemme think about that. oh, right, i don't care."

 

"They want to talk to you. I won't let them. You'll just hurt them. You'll kill them."

"uh..."

"Frisk. I'm not letting you hurt Frisk."

"uh..."

"They won't let me start over. They think they can get through this without hurting anyone..."

"Chara?" the human sounds...different. Softer. "You can rest now. I've got this."

and then 


	114. your heart is a weapon

Flowey hates the Surface. It's too bright and cheerful, and everyone is way too happy. He hates being trapped in a flowerpot, having to be carried everywhere. He hates living with a bunch of idiots who forgive and forget way too easily.

Everyone is sickenly nice, even that smiley trashbag, though the short skeleton _is_ intelligent enough not to trust him. They have an uneasy, unspoken truce that comes from the fact that both of them know that neither of them would benefit from killing each other. Frisk cares about them too much to allow one of them to die permanently.

Frisk cares about everyone, even soulless flowers who tried to kill them (and in some instances, succeeded), multiple times. 

Frisk...just doesn't make sense. Not one little bit.

 

 _Good morning_ , Frisk signs.

Flowey scowls. "Sure, whatever." 

From here, he can hear the sizzling of pancake batter. Frisk likes having blueberry and banana pancakes, which is a combination that tastes like barf. But the pancake itself is always really good, not that he'll ever admit it to anyone, ever. 

Frisk picks up his pot, and he resist the urge to bite them. Frisk is tolerable enough to be around, and he needs someone to move him from place to place, so he might as well make sure that he has the least annoying person carry him. Anyone else is fair game for a swift and merciless chomp to the fingers. 

The only other exception is Papyrus, but that's because the skeleton actually  _asks_ and  _listens_ to Flowey when he says he doesn't want to be picked up, and that is the only reason why he allows Papyrus to pick up his pot without being bitten.

Frisk pads into the kitchen in their bare feet, setting Flowey down on the counter. Toriel turns, and smiles warmly at Frisk. 

"Good morning, Frisk," Toriel says, pulling Frisk into a warm hug, the kind the surrounds you in softness and love and the feeling of being protected. Frisk hugs back, their small arms not long enough to encircle Toriel's form, but they still cling on tightly, as though they are afraid that any moment Toriel will disappear.

Flowey wants to gag at all the sugary sweet affection. 

Letting go of Frisk, Toriel's smile is now forced as she talks to him. "Good morning, Flowey."

"...If you say so."

"Would you care for a different pancake? Perhaps one with chocolate chips?"

"No. I hate chocolate. I don't want anything." 

(Not true, but Flowey doesn't want to continue talking anymore.)

 

Toriel hadn't been too pleased when Frisk brought him into their house, and he knows she still isn't happy that he's here. She never says anything about it, but he can see the wariness in her eyes whenever she looks at him. If he actually cared, maybe this would hurt.

But the queen's an idiot and a coward, so he doesn't even bother trying to find any scraps of emotions he still has left.

 

Luckily, no one else is at the table. Sometimes that stupid smiley trashbag shows up, with his awful puns and veiled threats underneath a layer of laziness and jokester personality. At least Flowey is honest, unlike that dumb skeleton who fools everyone into thinking that his laid back exterior is always true. 

The trashbag more often than not brings that moron Papyrus, but there are times where he shows up alone. When Papyrus is around, the mornings are tolerable, but all bets are off when the short skeleton shows up alone.

Both Flowey and smiley trashbag play 'nice' when Toriel and Frisk are around, although Flowey keeps a wary eye out in case Sans tries anything with Toriel.

He hasn't so far, but Flowey has several plans made out just in case. 

As much as he hates Toriel, she's  _way_ too good for that stupid, ketchup-eating weirdo. Plus, he can't stand the idea of having the short skeleton actually live with them. That would be the actual worst.

 

Frisk carries Flowey over to the table, amd places him down gently on the embroidered cloth. When Toriel comes in, she has two plates in each hand, each with a pancake on it. 

Over breakfast, Toriel and Frisk talk about boring stuff, and Flowey doesn't bother listening. 

It's not like he cares or anything. 

Frisk places a piece of pancake on the dirt by his stem, signing,  _Just in case you get hungry_.

Flowey doesn't bother replying.

 

One of the few tolerable things about living on the Surface is being able to watch TV shows that don't have that stupid robot in them. 

When Flowey gets to watch shows by himself, he can pick violent and gory ones, but when Frisk is around, Toriel makes him watch kid friendly ones.

Right now, both of them are on the couch watching a boring historical documentary.

Some narrator is blathering on about the origins of Ebott City, and how it grew from a small town into a thriving suburban city, going on about the traditions and stories passed down over many generations. 

"One of the more famous tales is about the appearance of a monster in the town, some fifty years since the Barrier had been put up. This monster was found over the body of a small child, who was killed by said monster before anyone could intervene. Luckily, the monster was-"

The television switches off abruptly. From the doorway, there is the sound of a plate shattering against the ground. "That was boring," Flowey complains. "Can we watch something  _interesting_ now?" Behind him, he can hear the beginnings of choked off sobs.

Frisk quickly signs,  _Mom? Are you okay?_

"I...think I am going to lie down for a little while. I'll sweep up this broken glass, first."  

 

That night, Flowey can't help but feel annoyed that he couldn't watch his favorite show. 

(Any lingering echoes of emotion are easily ignored.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> considering the idea of making another fic, basically a part two for all of this. on one hand, there is a lot of stuff here, but on the other hand, I really don't want to make a fic where you have to go back and search for references in order to understand the current story.  
> so, I'm still on the fence about that.
> 
> at this point, I have no clue how long this story is going to be. looking back, i think that one of the reasons there are a lot of chapters is because usually they are pretty short.   
> actually going to have to look over every chapter to make sure I'm not repeating myself (by accident, some of them are are purpose.)  
> a lot of stuff are connected, and there are a ton of stuff hidden under the surface, but I want this fic to be enjoyable regardless.


	115. double trouble pt. two

the first thing i notice is the smell of something other than spaghetti. strange. must be paps. my bro insists on having some kind of spaghetti breakfast. 's one of the things that makes my bro so cool, cause he's so dedicated on making sure that each dish is better than the last.

maybe this papyrus doesn't like spaghetti as much?

heading downstairs, i see my bro fidgeting by the entrance to the kitchen. guess it's weird for him to let someone do the job for him, even if that other person is, well, himself. the strangest thing is that the doorway is completely blocked by chairs stacked on one another, making it impossible to get in or even see what's going on.

"SANS, YOU'RE UP!" my bro calls, spinning around and giving me his customary wake up hug.

"heya. guess you left the cooking to yourself." i grin at papyrus, and he groans in frustration.

"OTHER ME INSISTED ON DOING THE COOKING. I TRIED TO BARRICADE THE KITCHEN, BUT SOMEHOW HE MANAGED TO GET PAST MY DEFENSES!"

guess that explains the chairs. 

from the kitchen, i hear, over the clatter of pans, a gleeful, "YOU UNDERESTIMATED THE SKILLS OF THE GREAT PAPYRUS! ALSO, HELLO SANS! I'M MAKING EGGS! DO YOU LIKE SCRAMBLED EGGS? I HOPE SO, BECAUSE...WELL, THAT'S THE ONLY TYPE OF EGG I CAN MAKE YET."

"sounds  _egg_ cellent," i call back, and both of them groan in tandem. i stifle a laugh. "sounds like an echo chamber in here," i tease.

Papyrus sighs. "SANS, MUST YOU RUIN A PERFECTLY GOOD MORNING WITH YOUR AWFUL SENSE OF HUMOR?"

i sit down on my favorite chair, and my bro joins me at the table. .

"it's never a bad time for some humor. in fact, i would say my timing is  _pun_ ctual." 

"I FINISHED!" paps proclaims. he's standing in front of the doorway, the stacked chairs seemingly unmoved, three steaming plates in his hands.

"WOAH! YOU MANAGED TO GET PAST MY BARRICADE...AGAIN!" 

"neat trick you got there."

maybe later i'll try and figure out how he did that.

 

the breakfast turns out delicious, if a little bit rubbery.

(but i'll eat anything my bro makes, no matter what it tastes like, because you can feel the love and passion he puts into the meal with every bite taken. this one is no exception.)

"great job, paps." 

"REALLY?" he gasps, eyelights sparkling. my bro is awesome, no matter what dimension he comes from.

"really."

"THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BREAKFAST! AND NO, SANS, YOU ALREADY USED THAT PUN, SO DON'T SAY ANYTHING."

"anything."

papyrus turns to paps, asking, "SO, DID UNDYNE TEACH YOU HOW TO MAKE EGGS INSTEAD OF SPAGHETTI?"

paps looks down at the dish of mostly uneaten eggs. "UNDYNE? I'VE TALKED TO HER A COUPLE TIMES ABOUT GETTING INTO THE ROYAL GUARD, BUT THAT WAS A WHILE AGO. SHE TOLD ME I COULD JOIN AFTER I CAUGHT A HUMAN, BUT...WELL, THEN CAPTURING A HUMAN BECAME LESS IMPORTANT. BUT NO, SHE'S NEVER TAUGHT ME HOW TO COOK. EVEN IF SHE DID...WELL...NEVER MIND! SO YOU LIKE SPAGHETTI? MAYBE YOU CAN SHOW ME HOW TO MAKE SOME!"

"NO PROBLEM! I WILL BE GLAD TO SHARE MY CULINARY EXPERTISE WITH YOU! BUT FIRST, ME AND SANS NEED TO GO TO WORK. I INSIST THAT YOU STAY HERE AND RELAX!"


	116. and when our children tell our story pt. one

Cambridge has always been a divided town, Aria thinks to herself one morning while washing the dishes, a chore she particularly hates.  _Even before the war there were humans who distrusted their monster neighbors. But now it seems to be even worse._

When she walks through the streets, she can feel gazes searching over her, judgmental eyes and hushed whispers about the 'crazy woman' who married a monster. These insults against her slide off her back easily, but not the ones focusing on her husband or their child. Still, she does nothing. She must. Any action she takes will paint her in the wrong, will no doubt cast her further out. And she has a daughter to take care of, so she says nothing, and hates herself all the while for being such a coward.

 

Segoe would have called it practical.  _"_ There's no shame in avoiding a battle," he said once, his smile soft, "especially when you know it won't benefit you." 

She and him often used to butt heads about this issue. "If someone attacks you, you can't be blamed if you fight back!" she exclaimed furiously whenever he came home with a large chunk of his HP gone. Every time, however, Segoe would shake his head.

"They already distrust me. Imagine what would happen if I gave them more of a reason to."

Each time, she flicked his forehead with her thumb and forefinger, and called him an idiot. "You know, I can always beat them up for you. Or at the very least, actually insult them back."

And in fact, she had on several occasions hurled back insults to combat hits against her family. For some people, it deterred them from making comments...to her face, at least. At the time, she'd considered it a victory. Now she looks back and marvels at what an idiot she'd been, thinking that her actions actually changed anyone's minds.

But her husband is off fighting in the war, and all the anger is now directed on the families left behind.

 

_The letter arrives in the mail early in the morning, just as the sun is beginning to rise. It's a call to arms from the king himself. The monsters are losing the war, and they need everyone they've got._

_"You're not going," she insists. "You're a chef, not a warrior. You'll get killed in less than two seconds."_  
_To her annoyance, Segoe laughs, saying "I didn't think you had such little faith in me! I promise, I'll be home before you know it."_

_She thwaps him on his head. "You're not a killer! You get upset whenever you accidentally step on a spider, for crying out loud! I remember one time you actually had a funeral for a mouse!"_

_Barely wincing, he looks up at her, expression resigned. "I want to make a difference. This war has gone on for too long, and for peace to ever become a reality, both sides need to come to an agreement. You've always said I've had a way with words, so why not use my skills there?"_

_"They're not looking for diplomats!" she shouts, already knowing she's too late to make a difference. Nothing she says will change Segoe's mind._

_That stubborn idiot, she thinks, and tells him as much._

_Segoe laughs, sadly. "Perhaps I am."_

 

One year after her husband left, the war ended in favor of the humans. Two years later, and Segoe is still not home. None of the monsters have returned, and no one is quite sure why. Rumors spread that they were all killed, or perhaps banished to a faraway land from which they can never return. 

Either theory is just as likely. Neither matter in the grand scheme of things- either way, her husband will not return. 

She cannot bring to tell her daughter this, however.

 

_She's doing it again,"  Aria mournfully tells her sister over a cup of tea. From the kitchen, Cecil can see her niece kneeling on the couch, peering over at the window, face practically pressed against the glass. "Sometimes she's there for at least an hour, and she throws fits when I try to move her."_

_Then, in a louder voice, she calls, "I made some sandwiches, but you'll have to come into the kitchen and eat them like a civilized person."_

_"Can you keep watch while I'm gone?" Calisto begs, turning her head sideways to face her mother in a  way so that her gaze never leaves the window._

_"Callie..."_

_"What if dad comes and he thinks I forgot about him?"_

_"Your father also would want you to eat. Come in here."_

_Calisto runs to the kitchen, scarfs down the sandwich, and in a flash is back on the couch._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: rewrote this chapter from the ground up.


	117. all the little people

You've lived in lots of apartments, and from your experience, not all apartments are created equal. One of the earlier places you and your mom stayed in didn't have air conditioning, and most of the windows were either stuck shut or too small to make a difference. 

The apartment lobby was always cool, but the receptionist didn't like kids hanging around doing nothing. "Go bother someone else," he'd say, mustache twitching in annoyance. 

So you tried to find a place tucked away where he couldn't see you, and sometimes that trick worked. If it didn't, though, he would call your mom down and complain that she wasn't keeping a good eye on you. Then your mom would get upset and maybe not speak for the entire day.

Another apartment was at the very top floor, which was, according to your mother, was basically a penthouse. There was only a single bedroom, so you slept on the sofa, because your mom had a bad back. Sometimes she couldn't even get up out of bed, and she would call in sick for work. 

Your mother, when she wasn't at work, spent most of the day in her pajamas. On bad days, she would forget to eat. You made sure to hand her candy bars (chocolate gives you energy, right?) and watched her to make sure she'd actually ate it.

Sometimes she did. 

More often she didn't.

And there was nothing you could do about it.

 

The first time you went grocery shopping, you hadn't planned ahead that well. You'd been hungry, and your mother had been gone for a day before you finally decided to get food. Not knowing where any grocery shops were, you wandered around the town for nearly an hour before you found a farmer's market. 

But you didn't have enough money. It was here you learned that anything "healthy" was way too expensive. Plus, you'd already known from experience to avoid anything resembling a vegetable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by real life events. Not the apartment stuff, but the fact that right now the AC system is broken. Right now it's Saturday, and it won't get fixed until Thursday...  
> ugh  
> Anyway, just needed to vent for a sec.
> 
> As a side note, Frisk's mom, Julie, certainly is...well not going to win Parent of the Year Award.


	118. llamas with hats (underfell edition)

"BROTHER! IT'S AN EMERGENCY! CODE RED! I MEAN, BLACK!" Papyrus shouts, flinging himself through the living room window. Sans, lying on the couch, looks at the broken glass in annoyance.

"boss, you gotta stop doing that."

"DON'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" Papyrus automatically yells, before lowering his voice to a normal (for him) volume. "I'M SORRY, BROTHER, BUT THIS IS AN EMERGENCY OF THE HIGHEST CALIBER. AS YOU ARE WELL AWARE," he then poses dramatically, "WHILST UNDERGROUND MY REPUTATION WAS RESPECTABLE! MY NAME BROUGHT FEAR AND RESPECT AND AWE AND RESPECT TO ALL THOSE WHO HEARD IT. BUT NOW THAT WE ARE ON THE SURFACE, MY GOOD NAME HAS BEEN RUINED! DID YOU SEE THE LATEST VIDEO?"

"um...no?" Sans says, sweat beading on his browbone. 

"LOOK AT THIS!" Papyrus shouts, brandishing his phone. On the screen, a video starts playing what looks like compiled clips of Papyrus. Some are from public broadcasts, others look like they were taken by random bystanders. All of them contain Papyrus interacting with an animal in some fashion. 

Papyrus with a cat on his head.

Papyrus petting a llama, placing a handmade fedora over its head. 

Papyrus being followed by a line of ducklings.

Papyrus napping under a tree with a dog by his side. 

The video is titled, "Papyrus being adorable with animals."

Sans turns away, trying to contain his laughter. Papyrus, mistaking the sounds for someone trying to hold back tears, continues, in a tone that says, 'I told you so,' exclaims, "I KNEW YOU WOULD FIND IT AS AWFUL AS I DID, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IT WOULD UPSET YOU THIS MUCH!"

Papyrus sinks to the ground, dropping his phone. "MY LIFE IS RUINED. RUINED! HOW WILL I EVER BE ABLE TO FACE UNDYNE NOW? THERE IS ONLY ONE SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM!"

"boss?" Sans asks, turning to face his brother. "what do you have in mind?"

"IF WE MAKE YOU LOOK LIKE EVEN MORE OF A WEAKLING, THEN MAYBE MY REPUTATION WILL GO BACK TO WHAT I UTTERLY DESERVE. SO, FROM NOW ON, I'M GOING TO CARRY YOU EVERYWHERE, SYMBOLIZING THE FACT THAT YOU ARE TOO MUCH OF A WEAKLING TO EVEN WALK!"

"no complaints here, boss." 

"IN NO TIME AT ALL, MY REPUTATION AS A COOL TOUGH GUY WILL BE RESTORED. I SEE NOTHING THAT CAN GO POSSIBLY WRONG! I HAVE PLANNED EVERY DETAIL DOWN TO THE MINUTE DETAIL, AND NO DOUBT, I WILL SUCCEED!"

"sounds good. can i go back to sleep, now?"

"NO! WE MUST BEGIN THE PLAN AT HASTE! ACTUALLY, YOU CAN SLEEP WHEN I CARRY YOU. JUST DON'T DROOL ON MY ARMOUR, OR I WILL CUT OFF YOUR MUSTARD SUPPLY. DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOUR SECRET STASHES ARE."

Scooping his brother up, Papyrus places Sans on his shoulders. "ONWARD! TO VICTORY!"

 

A few weeks later, Papyrus bursts through the door, wailing at full volume. "SANS! SOMETHING HAS GONE HORRIBLY WRONG!" 

Sans, who had been about to take a sip of mustard, squeezes the bottle so tightly that mustard ends up splattering on the kitchen ceiling.

"I'M NOT CLEANING THAT. ANYWAY, LOOK!" He tosses his phone to Sans, who catches it easily with his red magic. 

A new video has been posted by the same person, this one titled, "Adorable big brother Papyrus."

This time, Sans can't help but laugh.

"BROTHER! STOP MOCKING MY PAIN! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO YOUR TERRIBLE IDEA IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"sorry 'bout that boss," Sans agrees, looking mournfully at the, now empty, bottle of mustard. This one had been a limited edition, too. 

"WELL, SINCE YOUR HELP HAS PROVEN TO BE USELESS, I WILL HAVE TO GO WITH ANOTHER PLAN...ONE THAT HAS NO CHANCE OF FAILURE! I SHALL MAKE MY OWN VIDEO, SHOWING HOW ALL MY ANIMALS ARE INTIMIDATING AND FIERCE! AND, I HAVE NO DOUBT WHICH ONE WILL TRULY MAKE THOSE PITIFUL HUMANS QUAKE IN THEIR BOOTS!"

 

**THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS FACES OFF AGAINST A TRULY DEADLY CREATURE!**

**posted by PAPYRUS on March 3rd 20XX**

[Scene: The skeleton brother's living room. Papyrus is standing in front of the couch, wearing his full armour.]

Papyrus: -ANS, IS IT ON?

Sans (offscreen): yeah, it is. 

Papyrus:  _*clears throat*_ AHEM! IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT MY NAME AND REPUTATION HAVE BECOME BESMIRCHED! IT SEEMS AS THOUGH YOU PITIFUL HUMANS ARE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT I AM NOT TOUGH NOR TERRIBLE, AND THAT IS QUITE ANNOYING! SO, I DECIDED TO PROVE HOW TOUGH AND COOL I AM, BY FACING OFF AGAINST ONE OF MY DEADLIER ANIMALS. OKAY, SANS, CUT IT OFF HERE! 

_The video is cut off, and is quickly replaced with another scene. This time, Papyrus is standing in his bedroom, still wearing the armour._

Papyrus: BEHOLD! * _Papyrus gestures grandly to something offscreen*_ WEEP AND TREMBLE AT THE SIGHT OF THE GREAT AND MIGHTY, DOOMFANGER!

_*The camera pans to show a fluffy white cat curled up on Papyrus' bed. Papyrus sits down next to the cat, who yawns widely._

Papyrus: SEE THOSE ENORMOUS TEETH? THESE CLEARLY SHOW THAT DOOMFANGER COULD BITE SOMEONE'S FACE OFF! WATCH AS I EFFORTLESSLY PLACE MY HAND NEAR THE CREATURES' MOUTH!

_*Papyrus places his gloved hand in front of the cat's. Doomfanger licks Papyrus' palm, clearly attempting to groom the skeleton._

Papyrus: SEE? NOW WATCH, AS I GO HEAD TO HEAD WITH THIS BEAST'S FEROCIOUS CLAWS. 

 _*Papyrus scoops up Doomfanger, who begins purring loudly. Placing the cat on his lap, the cat begins kneading his claws, clearly comfortable with this arrangement._  

Papyrus:  _*smirks confidently at the camera*_ NOW YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF MY BRAVERY, AND WILLINGNESS TO BE AMONG DANGEROUS ANIMALS, CLEARLY PROVING THAT I AM TOUGH AND WORTHY OF RESPECT.

OKAY, SANS, TURN IT OFF-

**Comments:**

iamtoast: awww it's so cute 

Xxergod88: yeah hes trying to be all tough and its adorble 

bagelman32: i want a doomfanger too! 

qTip: how did I get here? 

NOIR120s: papyrus is so sweet! such a cutie!

greeneggsandspam: this made my day so much better.

PAPYRUS: SERIOUSLY? WHY DOES THE WORLD HATE ME?

        Mr. Beans: the world loves u paps. don't ever change you sweet heart

        PAPYRUS: MY LIFE IS RUINED.

                      comicsans: lol

                      PAPYRUS: SANS, I AM GOING TO PAY GRILLBY TO NEVER SERVE YOU AGAIN.

                      comicsans: heh. good one bro.

                      comicsans: ...bro?

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some more underfell!  
> maybe I'll try tackling some other AU's...any suggestions?


	119. exposition and stuff (not really a chapter)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Basically, a rundown of what I'm trying to do with double trouble.   
> Is this an already created AU?  
> Anyway, I'll keep editing and adding stuff here.

**5/19/2019**

So I was thinking to myself, what if Canon!Papyrus remembered the resets and loads? Basically, remembering the same stuff Canon!Sans does. 

How would this change affect Papyrus, as well as Sans? 

First off, I figure Sans would be a bit more motivated, not super energetic or anything, he's still _Sans_ , afterall.

So I decided that he would be Royal Scientist, which means he spends less time at home and with Papyrus. 

Because he's the Royal Scientist, all his lab equipment is in the lab instead of the basement, and is a lot better condition. In each run, he studies time variations, but his data can only tell him that fluctuations have taken place, and not much else. 

Papyrus, on the other hand, would remember bits and pieces from loads, enough that he knows that things are repeating. So he tries doing everything differently, hoping that one combination will pay off and make everyone happy. I figure he would be a lot more stressed out, and maybe less motivated to be a Royal Guard as well.  

(Also this Papyrus wears a blue scarf because...blue.)

I had this idea that in the Neutral or Genocide Route you would battle Papyrus three times- one of them at Snowdin, like in canon. However, after he spares you, the player would not be able to kill him. Instead, Papyrus would end the encounter, tell the player that he trusts them to make the right decision, and lets them by. 

Dunno where the second or third battle would be. My idea is that you would only be able to kill him in the third battle or something. 

Not sure about the Hall of Judgement though...


	120. what i used to be (is no longer quite a mystery)

When Frisk and Toriel aren't around, there's always someone to watch Flowey, because even though he's stuck in a flowerpot, no one trusts him to be by himself for more than a couple of minutes. If he's lucky, it'll be Papyrus. If he's unlucky...

"looks like i'm on babysitting duty." Sans says. Flowey scowls.

"I don't need a babysitter," he snarls, "and even if I did, you would be my last choice. You're only here because you think I'm..." Flowey stops short. 

He hears Sans' footsteps come closer, and then the idiot swings himself over onto the couch, leaving a cushion space between them. "you know, you seem to have a lot of anger issues. those things tend to  _stem_ from a single issue. maybe i can find the  _root_ of your problem."

Flowey thunks his head against the soil inside his pot multiple times, before groaning out a very annoyed, "I hate you."

Sans' feet are now on the coffee table in front of the TV. "yep, i know. and it would have gotten under my  _skin,_ but since i don't have any i'm good." 

Silence passes. 

"I hate you," Flowey says, this time more aggressively. "You're nothing but a coward, and you know it!"

Sans lazily grins. "well, i am a lazybones. not sure about the coward part. what makes you say that?" When he finishes talking, there's a glint in his eye sockets, a pinprick of light that's one of the few tells Sans can't seem to disguise.

"You keep forgetting what's important," Flowey finally says. "I thought for a while that you were the _smart_ one. Turns out, you're even dumber than that idiot brother of yours." 

"you wanna repeat that, _bud_ dy?" Now Sans is starting to sound annoyed, although it's so mild that for anyone else it would be hard to tell. That stupid skeleton is so sarcastic that it takes a while to realize when he's genuine. But he's still making those dumb puns, so he's clearly not even close to being really mad. 

Flowey's had enough experience now to know how to deal with the smiley trashbag. 

So he grins. "Okay! If you insist!" Clearing his nonexistent throat, he says, "I thought for a while that you were the  **sMaRt** one! Turns out, you're even dumber than that idiotic brother of yours!" Sticking his tongue out and winking, he continues with, "Golly! I thought you were supposed to have a good memory!"

Sans chuckles, a sound that Flowey hates more than anything else in the world. This kind of laugh isn't any more real than Flowey's, but people fall for it anyway just the same. That's another thing that they have in common, unfortunately, but at least Flowey is honest about himself being a complete phony. 

"well, you know by now that i'm a bonehead, but i wouldn't say the same about papyrus."  Now there's an edge to his voice, a clear signal for the listener to back off unless they wanted to have a bad time. 

But Flowey doesn't care about hurting anyone's feelings, or even his own wellbeing, so he keeps going. "You sure are defensive, aren't you? Can't even admit the truth. You just keep going on, pretending everything's alright, and golly, you think you're so much better than me when the only difference between us in that you have a soul!"

As soon as he says the last part, Flowey knows he's made a mistake. It's not that the skeleton  _doesn't_ know about Flowey's nonexistent soul, but neither of them have ever brought it up. Until now. 

"now that you mention it, i've, uh, i've always been a bit curious about that." 

"Yeah? Well, you're going to keep being curious," Flowey bluffs, hoping that his scowl will be enough to deter the annoying skeleton. 

Of course it doesn't. When was his life ever been easy?

"are you even a monster? cause, you know, you don't have any shoes-which means you have no _soles_." Sans winks at Flowey. For a moment, everything in his mind goes silent. It's just another one of that smiley trashbag's puns, but...

"You okay there, _bud_ dy?" Sans is looking at him, browbone raised. When Flowey doesn't say anything, he asks, "a  _peony_ for your thoughts?"

Flowey scowls again (when did he stop?) and turns away.

"Why do you care?" Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Sans shrug.

"i don't. but frisk does. they would move the moon and stars for you, you know that?"

"That's because they have no sense of self perseverance. They'd probably walk into oncoming traffic and try and make friends with the car about to hit them." Flowey stares at the blank television, at the strange reflection looking back at him. "They're a bit like your brother, in that way. I think he's even worse, though. At least Frisk doesn't talk that much. And Frisk is still a kid, so maybe they'll grow up to be smart about how the world works. Papyrus won't ever change." 

"that's what makes him the great papyrus," Sans says, his smile softer, more genuine. 

Flowey makes fake gagging noises. Sans ignores them, and keeps talking. "my bro has always seen the good in everyone. that doesn't mean he can't be wrong sometimes. not that i'll ever tell him that there's some people don't have anything in them that's worth saving."

"You mean me."

"not just you, but yeah." Sans glances at him again. "but you seem to like him anyway. i mean, he _is_ pretty great, and it's impossible  _not_ to like being around him."

"...shut up, I hate you."

"sure thing."

With that, Sans leans to the side. Only a few seconds pass before he hears the idiot start snoring.

He's probably faking it. Probably. Flowey can't tell either way. He can't see the moron's face from where he is now. 

 

Silence.

Everything that was once background noise becomes ten times louder. 

Even Sans' snores have become a thunderous rumble. 

(According to Chara, Asriel snored all the time. But Chara ~~is~~   ~~was~~ good at telling very convincing lies.)

 

 _"If you eat a seed, a plant will grow in your stomach and then you'll_ **die** _. That's one of the first things they teach you when you're a kid."_

_"But Chara, I've eaten stuff with seeds in them, and I've never had a plant grow in my stomach!"_

_"That's cause it doesn't always take root. You know how in dad's garden not all of his flowers grow? It's like that. You've just been very lucky so far. Sooner or later, though, your luck's gonna run out, and you'll be sorry that you didn't listen to me."_

 

_"On the Surface there's a game where everyone fights to the death on live TV."_

_"Why do they do that?!"_

_"Because humans are crazy. Also the winner gets millions of dollars."_

 

_"I don't care about the people I used to live with. I can barely remember any of their dumb faces, anyway."_

 

"Everyone lies. Some are just better at lying than others," Flowey finally says, breaking the silence.

 ***The skeleton keeps snoring away.**  

"You're not very good at it," he remarks."Lying, I mean. You keep using the same tricks over and over again. The same awful jokes. Nothing ever changes with you."

He waits. 

***The skeleton keeps snoring away.**

"It's easy to be...you can tell what kind of person someone is when they are faced with true evil. Then you know if they're an idiot or not. Only a moronic imbecile...he...said he knows I can do terrible things. Makes him even more of an idiot, then. One of these days, he's going to get...nevermind. It's not like I care or anything. You know, I can't feel anything? I could kill everyone and not even feel bad about it." 

He waits.

"so, uh, why don't you?"

Sans is still lying down, but he sounds way too awake to have just woken up.

Guess he was faking it after all. 

"No point. You know this better than anyone. It's the only reason you haven't tried to kill me, either." Flower knows his voice has gone petulant, but he doesn't care. He wants to complain, and he wants the stupid skeleton to be annoyed as well.

If anything, Sans looks amused. "didn't think you  _carrot_ about whether or not i like you or not."

"Golly gee, you must have a pretty big ego to think that I care what you think!"

"you know, you start acting like this whenever you're lying. but, hey, who am i to judge? i just gotta ask, though, you ever heard of someone named chara?"

"...Nope!"

"alright then."

 "What do you mean by that?!" Flowey screeches. Sans scratches his forehead, looking overly confused.

"by what? i asked you if you knew anyone named chara, you said 'no.' simple as that. unless you're lying. which, uh, doesn't make any sense unless you got something to hide. which doesn't really help your case-"

"Do you ever shut up?! Why do you keep doing this? Leave me alone!" 

Sans now looks taken aback. 

Good.

"It's none of your business who I know or don't know. You're not my  _mom_." Flowey spits out. 

"hey, kid-

"I'm not a kid!"

"listen, you seem upset-"

"I'm not upset!"

"okay. okay." Sans reaches across, but stops halfway, pulls his hand back. "look, i don't trust you. but i shouldn't have pushed you. i'm sorry about that."

"No, you're not." 

"..."

"You just want to play nice because it makes Frisk and Toriel happy. Well, I don't care about either of them. Why should I pretend like you do? You're not even good at that!"

"uh...you got something you want to let out?"

"Like I'd tell  _you_. You said it yourself, you don't care at all!"

"...why do you want me to care?"

Flowey's mouth snaps shut. 

"look, i'm good at keeping secrets. you should know that better than anyone."

"..."

"How about this- i'll tell you something and you'll tell me something. deal?"

"As if!" Flowey scoffs. "You'll just say something stupid and then make fun of me! Well, I'm not going to fall for it. You really wanna know something? Well, I hate peanut butter. There, that's your secret."

"...huh."

"What are you making that face for?"

"nothing."


	121. do skeletons dream of undead sheep?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Is this something important?  
> Ehhhhhh.....

sometimes during the night i get hungry, so i head downstairs and get some leftovers. this is one of those nights. reluctantly, i get out of bed, and shuffle my way to the kitchen. i would take a shortcut, but i usually end up missing the mark when i'm tired. 

on the landing, i hear a strange noise. sounds like footsteps on tile. 

is papyrus up? usually he sleeps for at least three hours, and i'd read him his bedtime story only about an hour or so ago. plus, i'd heard him snoring in his room when i'd passed by. 

the footsteps stop.

an intruder?

carefully, i make my way towards the kitchen, slippered feet not making a single sound. when i reach the dining room, i see that the kitchen lights are still off. 

weird.

definitely not frisk, the kiddo gets a little nervous when it's dark.

 

there's a human shaped figure standing in the middle of the kitchen, much too tall and skinny to be the kid. i flip on the light. "hey, don't you know it's rude to be in someone's home without their-"

then two things happen.

first, i recognize the human. he's one of the member of papyrus' garden club. his name's q, i think. 

second, he doesn't react at all to my voice, or even to the sudden light change. he's just...standing there, in his pajamas. i know i was silent as a  _grave_ , so there is no way he heard me coming. 

"uh..."

q doesn't respond at all.

i try again. "uh...q? what are you doing here?"

again, no response. 

i head over to face q. once i get there, i see his eyes are wide open, but his expression is completely blank. 

is he...sleepwalking? 

 

_I remember...I was doing something. I..._

_Then..._

_No, I was standing...and then I was falling._

_Someone pushed me?_

_"don't you know it's rude to be in someone's home..."_

_I remember...it was dark...and I made a choice...what did I choose?_

_"...are you doing here?"_

_Then..._

_I remember...I don't...no, that's not what happened at all._

_I need to find...something important._

_"hey, wake..."_

_...follow the signal..._

_"up.."_

_!!!_

 

suddenly q starts, head jerking up and limbs stiffening. he looks around wildly, before his gaze focuses on me. "...What? Huh? Where? Sans? What am I doing here?" he manages to spit out, dark eyes widening in shock.

now that he's standing in front of me, i realize how tall q really is. 

"uh...i thought you would know, since i found you in the kitchen. you here for a midnight snack or something? cause all we have is leftovers."

"I don't...I fell asleep on the couch at Gabe's place...then I woke up here..."

"remember anything about the dream?" i ask, and q shrugs, looking lost.

"Sort of. I remember I had to find...something or someone. But I don't remember anything else. I guess it's lucky I ended up here instead of some stranger's house, but I'm sorry I came here without warning."

i grin. "no worries, i'll put the whole issue to  _bed_. besides, it's not like you did this on purpose. nice pj's, by the way." 

(the pajamas are light blue, covered in rubber ducks.)

"...thanks. Um...I guess I'll just...head back...wait, where do you guys live?"

"uhhhh....here? you mean, you just walked here in your sleep and didn't even know this was our house? guess you got lucky that it wasn't someone else."

they rub their eyes. "Guess so. Seems a bit odd, though. Well, just tell me where your house is, and I'll walk back."

"in your pajamas? and bare feet?"

Q looks down at their feet. "I didn't even notice..."

"hey, do you wanna sleep on the couch just for tonight?" i ask. i could have offered to shortcut them home, but since i can't trust my shortcuts for short distances, there's no way i'll have enough energy for longer distances, especially with another person along for the ride. 

Q looks at me, biting their lip anxiously. "Are you sure?"

"yeah. i would offer you my bed, but my room is basically a health hazard by now."

i get a strange look from that, but they also faintly smile, so i consider it a win. 

 

i get a bunch of blankets, and place them down on the sofa. "here you go. nice and comfy."

standing in the doorway, q nods. "Thanks," before sitting down. they pull the blankets over the shoulders, still sitting upright.

 

"night," i say, walking back to my room. 

it's always nice to settle in back in bed...wait. i forgot to get a snack.

dang.

welp, i'm not getting up again.

 

so, most of the time, i'm an excellent sleeper. one could even say i'm a  _nap_ tual. but there are nights when i can't seem to drift off, and instead lie in bed for hours with my eyes wide open, unable to relax. 

which is weird, because, like i said, i'm excellent at being lazy. but, uh, it's not like i think this all the time, or even most of the time, but one time i remember thinking that it would be nice to fall asleep and never wake up. don't take this the wrong way or anything, i was really tired at the time. plus it was just a dumb thought. 

 

Papyrus, as always, starts the day by leaping out of bed. "GOOD MORNING WORLD AND ALL ITS INHABITANTS!" Under any other circumstances, he would have kept his voice quieter, as to not wake anyone up. But Sans can sleep through anything, so Papyrus isn't worried. Besides, even if he _did_ accidentally wake Sans up, that lazybones would fall back asleep in less than two seconds.

This morning he decides to go for an early jog, so he pulls on his Running Armor (really just a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt,) and heads downstairs, ready to start the day. 

"PERHAPS I SHOULD MAKE MYSELF A CUP OF COFFEE...ONE OF THESE DAYS I SHOULD TRY AT LEAST A SIP."

As he heads to the kitchen, he notices a strange lump on the couch. As he gets closer, he sees the lump is his friend Q! Did Sans invite them over for a sleepover and not invite Papyrus? That would be...very hurtful.

_SANS WOULD NEVER DO SUCH A THING LIKE THAT!_

He leaves Q alone for now, heading into the kitchen to make breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been thinking about this carefully, and I've decided that might be a part two for this entire fic. It's getting a bit long (understatement of the century,) but on the other hand I'm kind of on the fence about making a part two.  
> Basically, it would be a continuation in the same style, just in another fic. The reason why I'm still unsure is that I don't want to make readers feel like they have to go through the entirety of one fic in order to understand the next.   
> On the other hand, this fic is getting pretty big...  
> What do you guys think?


	122. who i claim to be (is different from reality)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans doesn't trust this new Papyrus, who wears actual armor and sets dangerous traps all around the house.  
> Papyrus doesn't trust anyone at all.

**how it all began**

**sans**

it all started with The Machine. honestly, i'm surprised something like this hasn't happened earlier- this thing is barely held together even with all the duct tape i keep applying to the edges. 

so, The Machine.

it's big, and complicated. very complicated, with lots of buttons and switches and flashing lights and levers and basically what you would expect from a machine like this. and like all complicated machinery, it's made up a lot of tiny parts, all needing to work together in symmetry for anything to go right. 

normally when something breaks down, you can take a look at the manual, and see what part is busted. but i don't have a manual with a helpful diagram, and i'm isn't even entirely sure  _what_ The Machine is supposed to do in the first place. or who built it in the first place.

(my best guess is that it's a time machine of some sort.)

so in order to actually understand how The Machine works, i have to take it apart, piece by piece, slowly but surely getting an idea of how The Machine is built; it's a tedious process, because i have to make sure that i can put each piece back in the same place it was beforehand. 

and sometimes, i gets sloppy with my work, especially when i'm especially tired (but still can't seem to fall asleep somehow.)

i had one of the panels open, when i dropped my wrench into the gap, several wires became loose. at the same time, however, some lights turned on, as well as a big, red button.

so, like an idiot, i pressed it.

 

**papyrus**

**SANS NEVER TELLS ME ANYTHING IMPORTANT, AND HE ALWAYS TRIES TO HIDE HIS SECRET SCIENCE STUFF THAT HE KEEPS IN THE BASEMENT HE THINKS I DON'T KNOW ABOUT.**

**IT TOOK A WHILE TO FIND THE SECRET ENTRANCE, AND EVEN LONGER TO REPLICATE THE KEY. BUT, I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, AM A TRUE GENIUS, SO IT ONLY TOOK ME ABOUT SIX MONTHS IN TOTAL, WHICH COMPLETELY MAKES UP FOR THE (VERY FEW) OCCASIONS WHEN I RAN INTO SOME WALLS THINKING THE ENTRANCE WOULD BE BEHIND THEM.**

**BUT BEFORE I COULD PUT MY GRAND PLAN INTO ACTION, THE HUMAN ARRIVED, AND I FORGOT ABOUT IT, I MEAN, DECIDED TO PUT THE MISSION ON THE BACKBURNER WHILE I FOCUSED ON MORE IMPORTANT THINGS.**

**BUT NOW WE ARE ON THE SURFACE, AND THERE ARE MANY MORE PLACES SANS CAN GO TO THAT ARE NOT WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.**

**ONCE I MADE IT INTO THE BASEMENT, I SAW SANS' GIANT MACHINE THING. AND THOUGH I HAVE NO REASON TO FEAR SANS' WRATH, I DECIDED TO ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION, AND JUST POKE IT WITH ONE FINGER. THAT ACTION MUST HAVE BEEN BAD, BECAUSE SUDDENLY I WAS ON THE GROUND, AND THE ROOM WAS FULL OF DARK SMOKE.**

**AND MY HEAD HURT A LITTLE BIT FROM FALLING ONTO THE CONCRETE FACE FIRST, BUT IT DIDN'T REALLY HURT BECAUSE TRUE WARRIORS NEVER FEEL PAIN, AND I AM THE STRONGEST WARRIOR THERE IS, PROBABLY!**

 

**sans**

the room is filled with smoke, and even though i don't have lungs, i'm still coughing (one of those skeleton mysteries that i don't know about but don't care enough to research it.)

as the smoke begins to clear, i see a familiar figure emerge. "SANS! I SWEAR I WASN'T...WAIT, YOU'RE NOT SANS!"

_**this is not papyrus.** _

papyrus is not made of sharp edges and teeth. papyrus doesn't wear black and red armor with actual spikes. papyrus is not a killer with a LV of five.

but this skeleton is all of these things and more.

 **"ANSWER ME! WHO ARE YOU?** " the imposter papyrus yells, looming over me with a fierce scowl. i grin, placing my shaking hands in the pockets of my hoodie. 

"question is, who are you? i mean, i'm honored that you know someone with the exact same name as me, but uh...i've never met another skeleton that wasn't my bro." i wink, and the other skeleton stomps his foot, eyelights glowing red. 

**"IT'S CLEAR WHAT HAPPENED. YOU BROKE INTO MY...WAIT, THIS ISN'T MY BASEMENT. HOW DID YOU REDECORATE THIS FAST?"**

"it's always been like this." i narrow my eye sockets, still grinning. "guess you're a little off _base_ with your assumptions."

somehow my bro always seems to know whenever i make a pun, because he calls down, "SANS! YOU NEED TO GET A DIFFERENT HOBBY!" 

now the fake papyrus looks furious, stomping up even closer with a deeper scowl. " **I'M NOT FALLING FOR THIS! I WON'T STAY HERE AND BE INSULTED BY AN IMPOSTER!"**  

before i can do anything, he pushes past me and bolts up the basement stairs. 

**_towards paps._ **

 

**papyrus**

**I HEAD TOWARDS WHERE I HEARD THE STRANGELY FAMILIAR VOICE, READY TO ATTACK WHAT MIGHT BE AN EVIL CLONE CREATED BY ALPHYS IN ORDER TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD!**

**AS SOON AS I REACH THE TOP FLIGHT, I IMMEDIATELY SEE SOMETHING IS TERRIBLY WRONG. THE WALLS ARE PAINTED A DISGUSTING PEA GREEN, AND THERE'S A SMELL OF BURNING SPAGHETTI COMING FROM THE KITCHEN. WHEN I RUSH IN, THERE IS AN ACTUAL FIRE ON THE STOVE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE IS A CREEP KNOCK-OFF VERSION OF ME WEARING A PATHETIC EXCUSE FOR ARMOR AND A DUMB APRON READING ' ~~Kiss~~ High Five the Cook!' WITH A BUNCH OF PINK FLOWERS ON THE FABRIC. I THOUGHT I BURNED THAT THING ~~WEEKS~~ YEARS AGO!**

**THE FAKE ME MANAGES TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES, THEN TURNS TO FACE ME. THEY LOOK...EVEN WORSE FROM THIS ANGLE. JUST LIKE THE FAKE SANS, HIS BONES LOOK SOFT AND ROUNDED AT THE EDGES. HIS TEETH ARE BLUNT, THEREFORE WORTHLESS AT BITING ENEMIES IN THE FACE OR OPENING A CAN OF BEANS WHEN THE CAN OPENER GOES MISSING.**

"WOWIE!" **THE SKELETON SAYS.** "YOU LOOK JUST LIKE ME!" 

I SCOWL. " **YOU MEAN, _YOU_ LOOK LIKE ME. YOU STOLE MY LOOK, AND WHAT'S WORSE, YOU DIDN'T EVEN GET IT RIGHT! NO ONE WILL TAKE YOU SERIOUSLY IN THAT GET UP! YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE ME LOOK BAD!**"

 **THE WEIRD SKELETON POSES**. "I THINK MY STYLE IS UNIQUE- ANY SIMILARITIES MIGHT BE A COINCIDENCE, AS I'VE WORN THIS COOL BATTLE BODY EVER SINCE I MADE IT WITH SANS TWO DAYS AGO!"

"paps!"

"HELLO, SANS! DID YOU MEET OUR NEW VISITOR?"

**THEN THE FAKE SANS IS IN FRONT OF ME, OBVIOUSLY ATTEMPTING TO SHIELD THE FAKE PAPYRUS. EVEN THOUGH HE IS A FAKE, AND THEREFORE NOT WORTH WORRYING ABOUT, I FEEL A TAD UNEASY.**

 

**sans**

"hey, buddy," i say. "nice to meet you." i hold out a hand. "the name's sans. sans the skeleton."

"SANS! IS THIS ONE OF YOUR JAPES?" papyrus asks, and i hear uneasiness in his voice.

crap.

the fake papyrus sneers. " **YOU'RE JUST TRYING TO TRICK ME! I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, WILL NOT FALL FOR SUCH AN EASY TRAP!"**  

papyrus pushes past me. "paps!" i call out, reaching out too late to grab his scarf. 

the other papyrus doesn't seem interested in attacking, but i ready myself just in case. 

both of them circle around each other, my bro smiling reassuringly at the other skeleton. at any moment, i'll need to pull paps out of the way. my bro is great, but this guy's LV is 4. 

**"THIS HOUSE...IT SORT OF LOOKS LIKE THE ONE ME AND MY BROTHER LIVED WHEN WE STILL WERE UNDERGROUND."**

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN?"

"are you saying what i think you're saying?"

looking at us distantfully, he repeats himself.  **"I CAME BACK TO THE UNDERGROUND TO FIND MY BROTHER'S SUPER SECRET LAIR HE THINKS I DON'T KNOW ABOUT."**

"SANS? DO YOU HAVE A SUPER SECRET LAIR? WHERE IS IT?"

double crap.

before i can answer, the other skeleton snaps,  **"OBVIOUSLY! HE HAS THE SAME MACHINE AND EVERYTHING!"**

"BROTHER?" 

"i'll explain everything in a bit," i say, keeping my gaze focused on both of them, "but first we have to figure out what's going on."

 

**papyrus**

"blah blah blah...alternate universes blah...blah blah time travel...blah blah...machine..." 

**THE FAKE SANS WON'T STOP TALKING.**

**"I GET IT!" I EXCLAIM, JUMPING OFF FROM THEIR UNCOMFORTABLE COUCH. "I GOT PULLED INTO A ALTERNATE UNIVERSE OR SOMETHING. BIG DEAL. JUST SEND ME BACK!"**

"uh...."

 **THE FAKE PAPYRUS STANDS UP. "** DO NOT WORRY, OTHER ME! MY BROTHER WILL SURELY KNOW HOW TO USE HIS...SECRET MACHINE TO SEND YOU BACK HOME."

**EVEN I CAN TELL THAT SOMETHING'S UP WITH THAT GUY. BUT I DON'T CARE, SO I DON'T ASK. "YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T KNOW," I ACCUSE FAKE SANS, AND HE SHRUGS.**

"look, buddy, you mentioned there being a machine on the other side as well. i can't send you back until i can figure out how to replicate the events on both dimensions. this might take a while."

 

**all those little moments**

**the puzzles**

SANS AND THE OTHER PAPYRUS ARE HAVING A TOUGH TIME GETTING ALONG. LAST NIGHT, I HEARD A SERIES OF LOUD CRASHES THAT WOKE ME UP. 

WHEN I OPENED UP MY BEDROOM DOOR, I COULD HEAR MY BROTHER AND THE OTHER PAPYRUS ARGUING.

"hey...bud. next time you think you can try to hurt my bro...don't." SANS SAID. HE'D SOUNDED...STRANGE. I'D NEVER HEARD HIM LIKE THAT BEFORE.

**"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? THESE PUZZLES ARE MEANT TO KEEP INTRUDERS OUT! I THOUGHT YOU WOULD BE GRATEFUL!"**

"nice try. you think  _bear traps_ are 'puzzles'? you must be pretty dumb to think i'd fall for it." 

I CREPT OVER TO THE STAIRWELL, AND COULD SEE THE THE ROOM WAS LITTERED WITH SNAPPED BEAR TRAPPED. MY BROTHER WAS FACING THE OTHER PAPYRUS, SO I COULDN'T SEE HIS FACE.

I THINK THE OTHER PAPYRUS SAW ME, BUT HE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING.

I CLOSED THE DOOR AFTER THAT, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENED NEXT. I ALREADY FELT BAD FOR EAVESDROPPING. 

 

**the friends**

"YOU'RE REALLY HEAD OF THE ROYAL GUARD!" papyrus asks, eyelights shining. the other papyrus shakes his head in agreement, while making the so-so gesture with his left hand.

" **YES! FOR NOW, ANYWAY."**

 **"** WOWIE! BUT...WHAT DO YOU MEAN, FOR NOW?

"UNDYNE OFTEN CHALLENGES ME FOR THE POSITION. SOMETIMES SHE WINS. THEN I HAVE TO BATTLE HER TO GET MY ROLE BACK. THIS HAPPENS OFTEN."

huh. 

"I HAVEN'T GOTTEN INTO THE ROYAL GUARD YET. YOU MUST BE REALLY STRONG!"

**"OF COURSE I AM! I, THE GREAT AND TERRIBLE PAPYRUS, AM PROBABLY MOST LIKELY THE STRONGEST WARRIOR IN THE UNDERGROUND. EXCEPT...WAIT, I MEAN, OF COURSE I'M THE STRONGEST, WITHOUT A DOUBT! UNDYNE IS ALRIGHT, AND ASGORE...AND WHEN SANS ACTUALLY..."**

"actually what?" i ask, and my bro jumps in surprise. "SANS! YOU CAN'T GO AROUND WAITING AT DOORWAYS TO MAKE DRAMATIC ENTRANCES! ONE DAY YOU'LL SCARE ME TO DEATH!"

the other papyrus' scowl gets even deeper, if you can believe it. turning to my bro, he snaps,  **"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, YOU HAD NO IDEA HE WAS THERE! HOW ARE YOU EVEN...HOW ARE YOU STILL...NO WONDER YOU HAVEN'T MADE ROYAL GUARD- YOU CAN'T PAY ATTENTION! IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION, YOU'RE GOING TO GET STABBED IN THE BACK. OR THE FRONT. OR ANYWHERE ELSE. AND THEN ALL THAT'S LEFT OF YOU WILL BE A PILE OF ASH. AND MAYBE THAT SCARF."**

"YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY ABOUT ME-"

" **I'M NOT WORRIED! YOU'RE WORRIED!"**

"BECAUSE I KNOW THAT EVERYONE IS CAPABLE OF BEING A GOOD PERSON. SOMETIMES THEY JUST LOSE THEIR WAY, AND THINK THERE'S NO OTHER WAY OUT BUT TO KEEP GOING FORWARD. BUT IN ORDER FOR THEM TO TRUST ME, I HAVE TO TRUST THEM FIRST. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?"

the other papyrus stamps his foot.  **"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! OF COURSE THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE...I JUST...DO YOU EVEN HAVE ANY KIND OF SELF-PRESERVATION?"**

pushing me aside, he stomps out of the room. 

"OTHER ME!" papyrus calls, already starting after him. i grab my bro's arm. 

"give him a sec, paps. you don't know how he'll act now that he's angry."

papyrus places his other hand on my shoulder. "SANS. I DON'T THINK HE'S ANGRY. NOT REALLY."

"yeah? then what is he then?" i ask, just to humor my bro. he looks at me with a serious expression.

"I THINK HE'S AFRAID OF US. OF THIS WORLD. OF YOU. PLEASE, SANS, CAN YOU AT LEAST TRY AND TALK WITH HIM? I DON'T THINK...I DON'T THINK HE'LL WANT TO TALK TO ME RIGHT NOW. BUT MAYBE HE'LL LISTEN TO HIS BROTHER!"

_what._

"he's not my bro."

"YES, HE IS! HE'S ME, AFTER ALL! THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"

"fine. i'll throw him a  _bone_."

_he's nothing like you, paps._

**the talk**

 

he's in the bathroom. that's actually where he 'sleeps,' although i'm sure he rarely does. paps offered him his bed, and i offered him the couch, but, nope, those weren't good enough. 

my bro actually gave him locks to the door. said it was important to have a safe space.

i knock on the door. "hey."

no response. "knock knock."

**"GO AWAY."**

"no, that's where you say 'who's there?' but i'll let it slide. knock knock, _who's there_ , thyme."

**"THYME? WHAT DOES-"**

"if you try anything at all, i'll give you a bad  _thyme_."

**"...I HATE YOU. YOU...TOOK ME AWAY FROM EVERYTHING I KNEW. I...WANT TO GO HOME."**

there's a catch in his voice, and in that moment, i almost think it's my brother behind that door. 

**"LEAVE ME ALONE. PLEASE."**

so i say nothing else, and we sit, back to back against the door, and i question myself on everything i thought i knew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New idea: road to 130 chapters.  
> Once I get there, I'll start a new fic (part two) that will basically continue off where I started.  
> I'll have an info dump chapter that you can read or ignore (my plan is that the part two should be able to read as a stand alone, but there will be a few chapters from this fic, in cases if I'm writing a part two to something.  
> anyway it may not be 130 it depends  
> I am so tired right now.  
> also I'm really getting interested in the 'Fell verse.


	123. and when our children tell our story pt. two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk makes a friend.

it's a nice day outside, not too warm, not too cold, either.

the sun is warm on my face.

today i'm watching over the kiddo, so i thought i'd take 'em to the park. from the look on their face, it was like i handed them a giant treasure chest filled with nice cream, they were that excited. pretty much dragged me all the way to the park. 

when we got there, frisk makes a beeline for this climbing wall area, with a small fort at the top and a slide leading down. "be careful, kiddo, don't want to explain to toriel how i'd let you break any bones."

they have me a brief thumbs up, not even turning around. despite their promise, i keep a close eye socket on them anyway, just in case. 

i settle down on a nearby bench, ready to wait it out, when someone sits next to me. "Heya, Sans!" it's scout, from the gardening club, sporting a lacey pink eye patch with a strawberry patch sewn onto it. The strawberry has anime eyes and a goofy smile. 

"EYE didn't know you liked strawberries this much," i comment, and Scout laughs.

"Gift from a friend of my mom's, got it a couple months after the surgery." 

a young boy about frisk's age runs over to us. "Woah! Are you a real skeleton or just a pretend one?" he bounces up and down on his feet, eyes wide with curiosity. scout sighs.

"Lee, I told you about Sans, remember?"

"Yeah, but I wanna know if he's a human skeleton! Like, are you dead, mister?"

scout slaps the palm of her hand against her forehead. "Lee...remember what your mom said about asking personal questions?"

"nah, it's cool," i interrupt. "no kid, i'm not a human skeleton, and i'm not dead either. i'm a skeleton monster."

the kid's eyes widen even further. "Woah! That's even cooler! Do you know any human skeletons? Do you have a secret language? Are you and that other skeleton related? How do you eat and stuff? Do you guys poop? How come you don't have a mouth? Do you got parents? Are they skeletons too?"

scout grabs the kid gently by the arm. "Lee...give Sans a chance to talk. Also, you can't just ask someone if they poop!"

"But mom says  _everyone_ poops and I wanna know if it's true or not."

"Hey, why don't you go play on the climbing wall? There's another kid playing, too!"

lee turns around quickly. "Okay! Bye Mr. Skeleton!" 

"so, is he your brother?" i ask, and scout shakes her head.

"Next door neighbor. The mom pays me to babysit her kid once in a while."

 

You're sitting in the fort at the top, when you hear someone scrambling up the side. Almost immediately, you see a pair of brown eyes and a fluff of green hair peeking over the side, before they hoist themselves up into the fort with you. 

"Hi! I'm Lee! I like dinosaurs and the color yellow. What's your name?"

You feel a bit overwhelmed, but carefully sign out your name.

He squints, focusing on each hand gesture carefully. "Fish? That's a weird name...but don't worry! If anyone makes fun of you I'll beat them up! Wanna play pirates?"

You nod carefully. 

"Okay! Scout has a bunch of extra eye patches that we can borrow. C'mon!" With that, Lee goes down the slide head-first. Once he's out of the way, you shrug, and mimic him. Going down the slide headfirst, you find out, is way funner than sliding the normal way. Once you reach the bottom, Lee holds out a hand and helps you up. His hand is sticky, and from the purple stains on his shirt, it's probably from a popsicle. 

You wonder if you can get Sans to buy you a popsicle. One of those double popsicles that you can break in half and share. 

"C'mon! There's Scout over there!" With his other hand, he points at a nearby bench, where Sans and Scout are talking. "Scooooouuutttt!" Lee calls, running over to the bench, his hand still holding yours. "Scout, can I borrow some of your eye patches? Pleeeeeeeease? We're gonna play pirates!"

"Sorry, buddy," Scout laughs, ruffling Lee's short curls, "I only brought the one, and I kind of need it." She looks at you with a smile. 

"Hey Frisk! Nice to see you again!"

You nod.

Lee looks surprised. "Wait your name is Frisk? Oh...I'm sorry. I guess I read your hand language wrong. My friend at school is deaf, and she's teaching me how sign. Are you mute? That's okay if you are. My friend's name is Sammy, and she's not my best friend but she's my second best friend, and she can't talk either so she talks with her hands and the computer. My best friend is Kenny. He knows a lot of swear words. Guess how many? He knows ten! Like butthole, and a-"

"Okay, we got the hint," Scout interrupts. "Why don't you show Frisk your new trick on the monkey bars?"

Louis turns to you, his grin bright and genuine. "Wanna see? Wanna see?"

You nod.

"Okay!"

Still holding your hand, the two of you run over to the monkey bars. Louis clambers up to the top, legs wrapped around one of the bars. He falls backwards, hanging by his legs. You clap. 

From the distance, Scout shouts, "Not that trick!"

Louis swings himself down, then calls back, "Don't be a weenie!", before turning to you and saying, "I've got the world record on crossing the monkey bars back and forth three times. Wanna see?"

Without you needing to prompt him, he shows you his hands. "If you practice a lot, you get calluses, and the bigger the are, the better you are. See mine? I've been practicing all summer. When I started I couldn't even cross once before falling."

You clamber up the ladder, grab one of the bars, and make your way across to the other side. 

 

the four of us leave together, lee chattering a mile a minute to frisk. the kiddo's not saying much, but they're smiling. first we head to lee's house. 

"My house is to the right," scout says, pointing. in the window, i think i can see the face of an old woman, watching us. when she sees me, she places her hand against the glass, mouths a word i can't translate.

"Oh, that's my great grandma," scout says. "She was actually alive during the war between monsters and humans, but she was a little kid when it ended. Most of the time she has difficulty remembering stuff, but occasionally she'll have a story to tell from when she was little."

meanwhile lee is knocking wildly on his front door. "Mom! I found a kid named Frisk can they stay over for lunch?"

a tall woman in a blue tracksuit opens the door. "Sorry, Lee, but we have to get going. You have your DDR practice in an hour, and you really need to do some warm up stretches. Is this your friend? Nice to meet you! I'm sorry, but Lee can't play anymore. Are your parents nearby?"

frisk points to me. 

"Ohhh...um. Okay. Well, it's nice to meet you both." The woman checks her phone. "Lee, we need to get you ready. Come in, right now. You can play with your friend later."

lee sighs. "See you later, Frisk."


	124. rage against the machine

  You like going to Grillby's with Sans, but you aren't quite sure about the food Grillby keeps bringing you. He'll make you a burger and fries, but often will add some kind of vegetable on the side, sometimes even in the burger itself. 

Carrots are okay, you suppose. And lettuce as well, because it tastes mostly like water. There's a bit of grass flavor as well, but that can be covered up if you put it in a burger. 

The first few times, you ate the vegetables without any complaint. But then he started adding really gross ones, like cabbage and broccoli. Clearly, it was a sign that you had to revolt against the system.

 

Attempts Made to Avoid Eating Vegetables:

1.) Push the food around your plate, so it looks like you actually ate something.

2.) Take a vegetable, put it in your mouth. Then take a napkin, put that against your mouth, and quietly spit the offending vegetable into said napkin.

3.) Bribe Sans to transport them somewhere else.

4.) Wait until Grillby's distracted, then dash out of the restaurant. 

5.) Hide it under your plate.

6.) Smuggle the Annoying Dog in, and feed them your vegetables.

7.) Dump the vegetables on Sans' plate when he isn't looking. If he isn't paying attention, he'll think Grillby gave them to him, and he'll transport them away without checking your plate first. 

8.) If all else fails, fake having a heart attack.

(None of these attempts worked, except for the last one, but he'd been so panicked that his flames turned blue- Sans said he'd never seen Grillby like that in all the times he'd been there-so you didn't try doing it again.)

 

Sans seemed amused by all of this, until Grillby began giving him vegetables as well. 

At first, Sans would make them disappear, but then Grillby wised up, and now refuses to give him anything else until Sans eats said vegetable. 

(According to Sans, Grillby does this even when you're not around.)


	125. and now a word from our sponsors: try diet water!

"Hey Scout, have you finally caught up on Season Six of Triangle Warriors With Dashing Haircuts yet?" gabe calls from across the lawn as he pulls up another weed. 

"I'm just finished the finale of Season Five, and I'm already confused," scout says, her nose crinkling in what must be confusion. on the front porch, i watch it all, taking sips of my bro's famous spaghetti lemonade. to be honest, it tastes a bit like socks, but in almost a good way, maybe? 

frisk is sitting beside me, their glass untouched beside them, a large straw hat perched on their head which covers their forehead and eyes. adorable.

"What didn't you get?" gabe asks, standing up and cracking his back with a loud  _pop!,_ an action which still kinda freaks me out even though i know that their bones aren't actually being cracked.

"Well, I thought it was established that Sumo was the only one who could travel through dimensions with the power of his electric triangle, and now there's a whole clan of people who can do it? Doesn't that make his power less unique?"

gabe sighs. "That's the idea! Aren't you tired of the trope where only the chosen one can do something simply because they're the main character?"

"Yeah, but that was until it was revealed that Sumo was part of the Butteus Clan, meaning that he didn't gain any of his powers because of hard work or anything beyond the fact that he's the secret heir of Great Lord Panckeaus the Third, who really should be in prison for all of his war crimes. Plus that whole wedding scene between Lady Grey and Earl Theordoreina seemed forced." 

"It's all makes sense when you get to the next season. Everything gets cleared up, I swear. In fact, I might make a new theory video about all the stuff you've just mentioned, I have a lot of ideas that will knock your socks off." 

under her breath, scout mumbles something along the lines of,  _"Gabe, you have a problem."_

"a theory video?" i ask. gabe beams at me.

"Glad you asked! See I have this DoubleTubers account called Theories 'n Stuff, where I look at tiny details in various forms of media and study them. Sometimes I expose connections that may have been missed, other times I use real world knowledge and applications to state whether or not such a action is plausible in the real world. If you get a DoubleTubers account, can you subscribe and follow my channel? Right now I'm on the road to 15 followers, and I need two more." gabe rattles this out in a single breath, ending it all with a thumbs up. scout sighs, and goes back to planting seeds.

frisk stands up, signs,  _Getting more lemonade,_ and heads indoors. i tactfully don't mention the lemonade already sitting next to me. the kid has a hard time refusing stuff given to them, even when it's something like spaghetti lemonade. 

"so," i comment, "you're the analyzer type, huh?"

gabe scratches the back of his neck in what i assume is a nervous tic. "Well, only in things I like. It's always interesting to look beneath the surface, so to speak. For example, in the anime  _乾杯の戦士: Pan no tatakai!!!_ , there doesn't seem to be any real connecting plot, aside from a few episode arcs that are scattered through the seasons. Not only that, but the wide variety of cast and the constant switching of protagonists make it seem like the main formula is of self contained moments with a plot that has no connection to the next episode.

But all of it is connected, even when it seems it's not. Little things that the average viewer might deem meaningless, may actually have a deeper reason for being there. Like the fact that Misu Rai's past is never truly explained, but in her attic there's a newspaper from 20XX about a car crash killing almost an entire family leaving their eight year old daughter the sole survivor! Plus, there are a bunch of characters whose motives don't make a lot of sense, or don't even appear to be important, like Tsubasa Gātā!"

"tsubasa gātā?" i ask, and scout groans.

"Gabe is obsessed with the character. Basically, Tsubasa Gātā is this dude that's an acquaintance of Zen-Tsubu Komugi's friend, and he barely shows up or even talks that much, and when he _does_ **,** half of the time his dialogue is just mostly exposition or cryptic clues. **"**

"But how does he know all this information?" Gabe asks, waving his arms in a noodly fashion. 

scout levels him with a flat expression. "Because the writers were lazy? I don't know. Besides, I always thought the guy who created the series was a bit pretentious. We don't even know their name or what they look like." 

the screen door opens and closes behind me. "Why don't we all take a break?" king fluffybuns suggests, as he steps out. turning around i see his green overalls are covered in patches of mud. he too, like frisk, is also wearing a straw hat, although this one looks comically small on his head.

"Sure," gabe says, "I always like taking breaks."

i grin at him. "it's like you just read my mind."

 

 

**BLIND TASTE TEST CHALLENGE**

**posted by THEORIES 'N STUFF**

[Scene: A recording room with Gabe standing in the middle. Behind him is an orange couch.]

Gabe: Hey guys, it's me! Today I thought I'd do something a little bit different than usual, and take part in an internet challenge. What challenge, you may ask? 

_*dramatic pause, followed by a quick drumroll, in which Gabe mimes along with it.*_

It's the BLIND TASTE TEST CHALLENGE! Also, thanks to my buddy Sans, who agreed to hold the camera after my tripod broke. 

_*A skeletal hand waves briefly in front of the camera, before retreating.*_

Gabe: And now, before I go get my friends, let's go over the rules.  _*The rules swivel onto the screen one by one in a format similar to a powerpoint presentation. Gabe says the exact words that are visible on-screen, with some slight variations in wording.*_

Basically, we blindfold someone, put these noise canceling earmuffs, and feed them various foods. They have to guess what the food is, and for every food they guess correctly, they will earn another point. At the end, all points will be tallied and whoever wins...is a winner!"

_*From offscreen, there is a snort of barely suppressed laughter.*_

 

Gabe: And now, let's jumpcut forward in time!

_The video briefly cuts, but returns to the same scene. This time, however, there are three people on the couch._

Gabe (offscreen): And now we're back, I think. Is the red light blinking?

MK: Yeah! Do we introduce ourselves now?

Gabe (offscreen): Go ahead.

MK: Hi, my name's Monster Kid, but you can call me MK!

Gabe (offscreen): Those who are familiar to my channel probably already know who the two others are, and they're my best friends! Meet Scout, and Q.

_*Scout waves, Q nods. Gabe swivels the camera to face himself.*_

Gabe: And now, onto the challenge!

***Five minutes later, and the challenge is wrapping up. Q is the last one to take a turn.**

Gabe (offscreen): So far, MK is in the lead, with a whopping eight out of ten! Scout, on the other hand, unfortunately, only managed to guess one out of the ten selected food items.

Scout (offscreen): Gabe, I literally can't taste anything.

Gave (offscreen): Excuses, excuses! Now, it's Q's turn! Q, can you hear me?

_*Q, seated on the couch with the noise-canceling headphones and blindfold on, does not react at all. Gabe comes on screen*_

Gabe: First item, is watermelon.  _*Gabe taps Q's hand, Q startles a little, but opens his mouth and takes the spoonful of watermelon.*_

Q: I think it's watermelon. I'm 99% certain. 

Gabe: He won't know if he got it right until he's finished, just like with MK and Scout.

_*Offscreen, a door slams open with a loud crash, and everyone except for Q flinches in surprise.*_

Undyne (offscreen): Hey Gabe, here's your manga set-woah! Are you nerds making a video? 

Gabe: Yeah, we're doing a challenge video. It's almost done, but if I make a two parter, would you like to be in it?

Undyne: That would be awesome! You know I can't turn down a challenge!

Q:  _*sitting up straight, turning to the closed window*_ Oh, hi Papyrus! 

Undyne (offscreen): Wait, what? 

PAPYRUS (offscreen): DYNAMIC ENTRY!  _*there is the sound of glass breaking, then the skeleton appears on screen, beaming widely at the camera*_

DID SOMEONE SAY **_CHALLENGE?_** BECAUSE, I THE GREAT PAPYRUS WOULD BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO- WAIT, I'M PROBABLY GETTING IN THE WAY, AREN'T I?

Gabe: Only a little, but don't worry too much. The contest might as well end now, seeing as I now have to fix my door and window. Well everyone, I guess I'll see you guys...in my next video! Buh-bye!

***The video ends after a brief line of credits roll up.**

 

When you lived with your first mom, one of the things you did the most was watch TV. Your mom liked watching TV, too, and every apartment you ever lived in always had a television. When she was at home, one of her favorite places was stretched out on the entire couch, which you didn't mind because you could sit and draw on the floor with your crayons or pencils or markers. Your mom didn't really care if you ruined the floors, but she also wasn't interested in anything you drew, either.

Even though cartoons were alright, you liked commercials the best. Commercials, unlike TV shows, are safe places where everything is solved in four minutes or less. Nothing bad happens, and any problems are quickly dealt with, and in the end, everyone is happy and smiling.

Sometimes you'd wished real life was like a commercial. 

 


	126. green eggs and spam

"It's so hot," MK groans, "it's like being Hotland except without all the lava and stuff. You got the egg?" 

You nod, holding out the egg in question. Monster Kid, tail wrapped around a small pan, places it gently on the concrete driveway, and once the pan is on the ground, you deftly crack the egg and pour the contents into the pan. 

Already, you can hear crackling noises, and right before your eyes, the egg becomes fluffy and scrambled. 

"Woah," Monster Kid breathes, "I can't believe it worked here, too!"

You shrug. 

_"Want some?"_

"Nah, not without any ketchup."

_"Okay."_

You grab a handful of egg, ignore the mild burning when you pick it up, and shove the whole thing in your mouth. It doesn't taste very good, but you keep chewing, and eventually swallow it. The egg leaves behind a strange aftertaste, and you barely refrain from gagging. 

"Woah! Frisk, you're  _crazy_ _!_ " MK laughs, "Crazy cool!"

_"Thanks!"_

You flash him a grin, knowing full well there are pieces of egg shell still stuck in-between your front teeth.


	127. come and share a cup of tea; my home is warm and my friendship's free

On the Surface, there are electric kettles that heat up water in less than a minute, a marvelous invention to be sure. But I have always been old fashioned, and I find that sometimes the simplest things in life work the best. 

There are many flavors of tea available, and perhaps, one day, I shall taste them all. What a lovely idea, don't you think? To live in a world where the only concern is finding every single tea brand in existence.

 

 

"Papyrus?" I ask, looking at the skeleton on my doorstep with curiosity. "Do you need something? Or are you here for a visit?"

"THAT'S OKAY, YOUR MAJESTY! I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT GABE WON'T BE ABLE TO COME TOMORROW. HE'S HAVING HIS...TEETH REMOVED." Papyrus shudders as he says the last part, clearly looking rattled, and perhaps even a tad disturbed. "BUT I'M ALSO HERE BECAUSE..." Papyrus pauses, shuffles his feet sheepishly, hand scratching the back of his neck for a moment. "WELL, ISN'T THAT WHAT FRIENDS DO? I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE TO CATCH UP, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU."

"Certainly. Why don't I put the kettle on, and we can talk."

Papyrus nods, his smile bright, "THAT WOULD BE GREAT!"

 

 "I'm afraid I only have two blends of tea," I explain, heading into the kitchen. Papyrus, sitting on one of my armchairs, calls out, "THAT'S OKAY! I'LL JUST HAVE WHATEVER YOU'RE HAVING."

I pull out two mugs, place them on the kitchen counter. "Would you like milk or sugar in your tea?"

"HMMMM...I GUESS SO. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF EACH, I GUESS." As I set the pot over the stove to boil, he asks, "WHAT DO YOU LIKE?"

As I prepare the mugs, I think to myself, then answer, "It all depends on the flavor of tea. Some, I find, taste better with nothing else added, but for this blend, I prefer adding a small amount of milk and sugar."

"I GUESS I'LL HAVE THAT, THEN."

The kettle whistles cheerfully, and I carefully pour the tea into both cups, carrying them out and placing them on the coffee table. "Be careful, it's still hot."

Papyrus nods, before taking a small sip. Then another. "THANK YOU."

"It's no trouble at all." Searching for a topic, I ask, "How's your brother doing?"

Placing the cup down, Papyrus beams. "I THINK HE MIGHT ACTUALLY JOIN THE GARDEN CLUB! OR, AT LEAST BE A PART-TIME MEMBER."

"That would be wonderful. Papyrus?"

"YES, KING ASGORE?"

"Is something troubling you?"

Papyrus fiddles with his gloves. "NOT EXACTLY...TROUBLED, BUT...I'M ALRIGHT MOST OF THE TIME, IT'S JUST...NEVERMIND, IT SOUNDS SILLY."

"Even if it is silly, I wouldn't mind hearing it."

"I GUESS...I JUST FEEL...I KNOW IT'S NOT..."

I take a sip of tea, gently place the mug back down. 

"EVER SINCE THE ROYAL GUARD DISBANDED, I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT A LOT OF THINGS. HOW I WANTED SO BADLY TO JOIN, AND HOW NO ONE, NOT EVEN SANS, TOLD ME WHAT BEING A ROYAL GUARD MEANT. THAT IT MEANT CAPTURING AND DELIVERING A HUMAN AND...WELL...I'M SORRY, YOUR MAJESTY, I SHOULDN'T HAVE BROUGHT THIS UP. I JUST...SOMETIMES...I DON'T KNOW. ANYWAY, THANKS FOR THE TALK."

"Anytime. But, Papyrus?"

"YES, KING ASGORE?"

"If you ever need someone to listen, I'll be here." 


	128. the girl with all the gifts

There is a child sitting on his porch, perhaps ten or eleven years old, clothes stained with dirt and mud. When they see him, they stand up quickly, eyes wide in their too-pale face. "Are you King Asgore?" she asks, wiping her nose with her shirt sleeve. "My name's Pippa, and...and I'm here to..." the child pulls out a wrinkled piece of paper from their backpack, all without taking eye contact off of him. "negotiate peace between monsters and mages."

Asgore smiles gently, crouching down in an attempt to appear less threatening. "It's very nice to meet you, Pippa. If it's alright, I could bring you something to eat or drink. Would you care for some water?"

He'd thought about inviting Pippa in, but they look nervous enough as is. 

She hesitates, but eventually nods.

 

I _t's not that Pippa hates monsters, afterall, she's never met a single monster in her entire life. No one in her village has, cause the last mage from the war died before she was even born._

_Even though she's only nine years old, Pippa knows the whole village is scared. Even the grown ups are afraid, cause everyone knows that even if monsters don't hate humans, they probably still hate mages. And their village is one of the last places that still has enough magic for mages' spells to work correctly, which means all the most powerful mages live here. But human magic is weak, and even the strongest mage there is, only has enough power to start a small fire._

_"There's magic still in the forest," her teacher once explained, "but it's very weak. At the same time, however, it's the only concentrated area of magic that we've been able to find, which is why the village was built so close to the forest."_

 

"I came here from my village," Pippa explains. "No one knows I'm here, cause everyone else is too afraid. They think you're gonna come and attack us. But then I saw on  TV that the kid named Frisk has a red soul, so I decided to come here. Cause everyone knows that red souls are the most dangerous to monsters, so if you trust them then it must be safe."

"Child," Asgore says worriedly, "do you mean your family has no idea where you are?"

Pippa looks offended. "I left a note!"

Asgore sighs. "Perhaps it would be best to call your family and let them know you're okay."

 

_At school, all the classes are put on hold, which is really unfair because they just started learning about Inventories, and Pippa was the only one who could open and store a single item in, but the class ended before the teacher could explain how to take stuff out of her Inventory, and she really wants her allowance money back._

_Mealtimes are now a silent affair, the only noise coming from her baby brother, who is too young to be aware of much of anything, babbling and getting food smeared everywhere._

 

He only hears one half of the conversation, but from the child's responses, there is a lot of scolding going on. Eventually, Pippa says, "Mom wants to talk to you," and passes the phone over. Almost immediately, he hears a woman's voice on the other end.

"Listen to me. If you hurt her, there will be hell to pay. But...me and the leaders want to give you a chance. We'll meet you at a neutral location, today. And if you don't show up with my daughter...well, you're not going to have a good time."

Then the phone hangs up with a loud slam.

 

_Neither of her parents are mages, and she's the first one born in several generations to have any potential to become one. Most of the kids her age are also in training as well. Pippa has a pale greenish yellow soul, which according to old manuscripts, means she has a mix of justice and kindness._

_Kenny has a bright purple soul, and he has the best control out of all of them. But it's Lilla who everyone whispers about, because her soul is the closest to determination that anyone has ever seen. It's a reddish violet, but still. So when the monsters break the Barrier, all the villagers are worried most of all about her, because everyone knows that during the war, monsters went after humans with red souls first._

_But then they see that the human who freed the monsters has a bright red soul, and everyone is left confused, because now things don't make sense anymore. The town council meets up and talks for hours, and her mom keeps coming home from meetings saying everything's at a stalemate._

_And Pippa knows that if it's left up to the adults, nothing is going to get done. And if they don't do anything, the monsters might make their decision for them._  


	129. the girl with all the gifts: small steps

"What are we waiting for? My  _daughter_ is in danger!" she shouts at the head of the council, trying to hold back from punching him in the face. Right in the nose.

(Even after all these years, Alex still has a mean right hook.)

"We can't afford to make rash decisions. Your daughter says she is safe, and we have no reason not to believe her. Furthermore, antagonizing the monsters was a rash decision, potentially dangerous in the long run."

"I'll show you dangerous!" 

His eyes flash green. "You know I'll defend myself if needed, even from you." Alex can tell, however, his threat is half-hearted at best. Fen is good at making people think that he's dangerous, but really, he couldn't hurt a fly. Literally. But they've been friends for a while, so he already should know that his intimidation tactics are useless against her. 

Alex scowls, crossing her arms. "So what do you suppose we do?"

"We will meet with them, just as you promised." Looking both ways, he whispers, "I know Pippa is still safe. I can feel her magical signature. She is well, I promise."

Some of the anger fades, but not much. The technique, she knows, is very draining, and now that she's looking closer she can see the dark circles underneath his eyes, how his hands won't stop shaking. 

"I'm still coming with you, because you're an idiot who can't take care of himself, and, more importantly, because this is Pippa's _life_ on the line, and I'm not going to risk putting it in the hands of someone else."

Fen sighs. "...promise me you won't do anything rash."

"I'll be civil as long as I know my daughter is safe."

"...I'm going to trust you. Please don't let me down, we cannot afford to start another war."

"I know."

"I don't think you do, but I know you'd find a way even if I ordered you to stay."

"You don't have that power."

"I know."

 

At first, both mom and dad don't want you to go. "My child, I cannot put you willingly in danger. Not anymore." 

While dad says nothing, you can see the pain in his eyes. Both of you know that you being there is a necessity, but he will never say so out loud. Instead, he will wait, and you know that he will listen to whatever choice you make, and will not force you into anything. 

_"I need to come. I'm ambassador, and me being there might make the mages listen better."_

Now Toriel falls silent, and you know that she knows that she cannot stop you. There is sadness, mixed with resignation in her voice, when mom finally says, "If anyone even thinks to put a hand on you...they'll soon regret it."

 

"Hey, Sans, this is a dumb question, but I'm gonna ask it anyway." Scout starts, leaning back on her bean bag. "What's up with your names? Yours and Papyrus' names, not the entire monster species."

Sans, lying flat on his back across the entire couch, lazily says, "you mean, the font names? i think it's a skeleton tradition. possibly. i was never really interested in looking it up, so i dunno for sure."

"Nah, that's not what I mean. I mean, like, how did your parents know what to name you? Cause, you talk in comic sans, right? So they wouldn't know until you started talking what to name you, unless they could already tell from birth or whatever."

"...wait, what?"

"SANS! WE ARE NEEDED AT THE QUEEN'S HOUSE! OH, HELLO SCOUT! SORRY, BUT ME AND SANS HAVE TO GET GOING. YOU CAN COME ALONG, TOO!"

"Nah, that's okay. I gotta go home anyways."

 

Eventually, it's decided that you, mom and dad, Sans and Papyrus will come to the meeting point at the field part of the park. "Hopefully," your mom had said before the two skeleton brothers showed up, "the two will be able to lighten the mood." 

And of course, Pippa comes along as well.

You're not quite sure what to think about her, except you know she can be trusted. You knew this from the moment you looked at her, trembling with fear but still determined to make things right again.

When you reach the park, there are three humans waiting in the field next to the park. They don't look like how you imagined a mage would; instead of billowing robes, the three are clad in ordinary clothes. 

There's a man, and two women, standing side by side. When your group gets closer, Pippa calls out, "Momma!" and rushes to one of the women's side. The mother grabs her and hold her close, relief in her voice as she starts scolding Pippa.

"When you get home, you're going to be in a heck load of trouble, you hear me?" 

You can visibly see some of the tension leaving both sides. Pippa wriggles out of her mom's grasp. 

She turns to you. "Frisk, this is my mom." Pointing to the other woman, she says, "and that's Ms. Thorn. She teaches magical history. And that's..."

"My name is Fenn, and I am head counsilman of our village. It is a pleasure to meet you all." Out of all of them, Fenn is the hardest to get a read on, with his placid smile and calm demeanor. 

Papyrus waves cheerfully, but when he speaks his voice is noticeably less louder. "Hello! My name is Papyrus! And this," he says, gesturing to the smaller skeleton, "is my lazy brother Sans!"

Sans waves. "yo."

"SANS!" Papyrus clears his throat before saying, "Sans! This is not a time to make bad first impressions!" 

Pippa smiles. "See? They're not here to fight!"

Fenn, speaking to mom and dad, says, "May I speak to the both of you in private?"

"Of course," Toriel agrees. 

The three of them head a short distance away, out of earshot.

When they're gone, you sign,  _"Magical history?"_

"Yes, that's my profession, as well as my hobby." From her tone of voice and excited gestures, you can tell this is a subject she is very invested in. Pippa's mom sighs.

"Now you've done it," she teases, "she's going to go on a ten hour lecture about determination being the sole difference between humans and monsters."

"THAT SOUNDS INTERESTING! BUT...IT DOESN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE. DON'T HUMANS HAVE OTHER COLORED SOULS AS WELL?"

"Well, not exactly. Souls contain a primary trait, but the other traits still exist within said soul, just in a less concentrated amount. One of these traits, of course is determination. Not everyone has the same amount of determination in them, but I hadn't thought that was important until now. You see, I've been observing monster magic on television, and so far I have not see any type of red magic. This could indicate that monster souls may not contain any determination as well. Anyway, it's all just speculation at this point."

"so are you saying this work is your... _sole_ purpose?"

You and Pippa giggle. Papyrus face-palms. Ms. Thorn just looks faintly bewildered. 


	130. end of act one

For a while, I've been thinking, and I've decided to split this fic in half! So, basically, the next fic is just a continuation. Technically speaking, I want to make part two a fic that you can start on your own without needing to read part one, but at the same time there will be stuff that may have been overlooked in this fic that will be brought closer to light.

For now, thanks for reading, and I'll see you guys in part two, which I will title

   **among diamonds and dust (live the rest of us)**

 

 

 


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